Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-17

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 8.5)

The bar charts and line graph illustrate the results of a three-year survey investigating what people living in London considered the best and worst aspects of the city, as well as whether litter, air quality and noise were regarded as major problems.

Overall, the range of shops was consistently considered one of the best features of London, although its popularity declined slightly over the period. By contrast, the cost of living, traffic congestion and crime were among the most significant disadvantages. Regarding environmental problems, litter was considered the greatest issue in all three years, while noise was regarded as the least serious.

In terms of the positive aspects, the range of shops was the most popular feature in Year 1, at approximately 45%, before falling to around 40% in Year 2 and 42% in Year 3. Job opportunities also declined from about 38% to 35%. Meanwhile, the proportion of people appreciating museums and art galleries increased steadily, from roughly 29% to 35%. Nightlife also became more popular, rising from 22% to 25%. The figures for transport fluctuated, falling from about 22% to 18% before recovering to approximately 21%.

As for the negative aspects, cost of living and traffic congestion were particularly significant. The former fell from around 57% in Year 1 to 50% in Year 3, while traffic congestion decreased from approximately 56% to 49%. Crime experienced the sharpest decline, from about 56% to 40%. In contrast, the figure for the cost of housing remained relatively stable at around 35% before rising slightly to 37%.

Finally, the line graph shows that concern about litter rose from 70% to 75% in Year 2, then dropped to 65% in Year 3. Air quality declined steadily from approximately 66% to 60%, while noise fell gradually from 58% to about 53%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response is excellent. You have successfully identified and described all key features of the provided charts and graph. The overview is clear and effectively highlights the main trends and contrasts across the three-year period. You have supported your descriptions with accurate data points, such as the decline in 'range of shops' and the fluctuations in 'transport'. The information is well-selected and logically grouped, ensuring that the reader gets a comprehensive summary of the survey results without unnecessary detail. This is a very strong performance that fully addresses all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The report is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: an introduction, an overview, positive aspects, negative aspects, and environmental concerns. You have used a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'By contrast', 'Meanwhile', 'The former', and 'In contrast', which help the reader navigate the information smoothly. Paragraphing is used skillfully to separate different categories of data, and the referencing is precise throughout. The flow of information is natural and professional, making the report very easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.5

You demonstrate a wide and sophisticated range of vocabulary, which is used with precision and natural control. Phrases such as 'consistently considered', 'experienced the sharpest decline', and 'remained relatively stable' show a high level of lexical flexibility. You avoid repetition by using synonyms and varied structures to describe trends, such as 'declined', 'falling', 'rising', and 'fluctuated'. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and the language is perfectly suited to the academic nature of the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

Your control of grammar is excellent. You utilize a wide range of complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses and comparative constructions, with full accuracy. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no grammatical slips that impede meaning. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the variety of structures—from simple statements of fact to more complex analytical sentences—is impressive. The writing is polished and demonstrates a high level of grammatical competence consistent with the highest band descriptors.

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