Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-15

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The bar charts and line graph below show the results of a survey conducted over a three-year period to discover what people who live in London think of the city.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

What are the best things about living in London?

Student answer (Band 7.5)

The bar chart and line graph show the results of a survey conducted over three years to find out London residents' opinions on the best and worst aspects of living in the city as well as whether certain issues were considered major problems.

Overall, the range of shops was consistently seen as the best thing about living in London, while the cost of living was the most frequently cited negative aspect. In terms of problems, litter was viewed as the biggest concern initially, but this declined over time.

Looking at the positive aspects, approximately 45% of people in year 1 chose the range of shops, and this remained the highest around 42% in year 3. Job opportunities and mixture of people were also highly rated, both starting at about 37-38% and staying relatively stable. Interestingly, museums and art galleries showed an upward trend, rising from 29-34%. Nightlife, transport and other categories were mentioned by roughly 20-24% of respondents throughout the period.

Regarding the negatives, the cost of living was the top concerns in year 1 at 57%, dropping to 50% by year 3. Traffic congestion and crime were also major issues, though both saw a decrease, with crime falling sharply from 56% to 40%. In contrast, concerns about the cost of housing rose slightly from 35% to 36%. The line graph shows the percentage of people who saw litter as a major problem dropped significantly from 70% to 64%, while air quality and noise concerns also declined gradually.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively covers all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the data, highlighting the most significant trends and differences between the positive and negative aspects of living in London. The data is well-selected, with specific figures used to support the descriptions. You have successfully integrated information from both the bar charts and the line graph, ensuring that the key features are identified and compared. The report is well-structured and fulfills the requirements of an Academic Task 1 response by presenting a clear, analytical summary of the provided visual information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two distinct body paragraphs focusing on positive and negative aspects. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you have used a variety of cohesive devices such as 'In terms of', 'Interestingly', 'Regarding the', and 'In contrast' to link your points effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different themes, which helps the reader follow the analysis easily. The use of referencing is clear, and the overall structure is coherent throughout the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You have demonstrated a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a report, using terms like 'consistently', 'cited', 'stable', 'upward trend', and 'sharply'. The language is precise and natural, allowing for a clear description of the trends. While the vocabulary is accurate and sufficient, there is room to incorporate more sophisticated or less common collocations to reach the highest band. However, the current range is flexible enough to convey the information with precision and style, and there are no significant errors in word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response displays a good variety of complex structures, such as participial phrases ('rising from 29-34%') and comparative structures ('the most frequently cited negative aspect'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and grammar is strong. There are very few minor slips, such as 'the top concerns' (should be 'the top concern'), but these do not impede communication or detract from the overall clarity of the report. The grammatical control is consistent throughout the text.

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