Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-18

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 charts and line graph illustrate the results of a three-year survey investigating what people living in London consider 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 considered as the best feature of London consistently, although its popularity declined over the years. By contrast, cost of living, traffic congestion and crime were reported as the most significant disadvantages. Among environmental factors, litter was considered the greatest issue in all these years, while noise was regarded as the least serious.

In terms of advantages, the range of shops was was the most popular feature in Year 1, at approximately 45%, before falling to around 40% in Year 2 and about 42% in Year 3. Job opportunities also declined from around 40% to 35%. Meanwhile, people appreciating museums and art galleries steadily increased from roughly 30% to 35%. Nightlife also became popular, rising from about 23% to 25%. The figures for transport fluctuated, falling from 22% to 18% before recovering to approximately 21%.

As for the negative aspects, cost of living, traffic congestion and crime were particularly significant. Cost of living fell from around 58% in year 1 to 50% in year 3, while traffic congestion declined from roughly 57% in year 1 to approximately 48% in year 3. Crime recorded the sharpest decline from around 57% in year 1 to 40% in year 3. 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% in year 1 to about 75% in year 2, and then fell down to 65% in year 3. Air quality declined gradually from approximately 66% to 60%, whereas noise fell steadily from 59% to about 53%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have provided a comprehensive report that covers all three visual elements effectively. You successfully identified key trends, such as the decline in the popularity of shops and the significant drop in crime concerns. The overview is clear and sets the stage for the detailed body paragraphs. You have selected relevant data points to support your descriptions, and the comparison between the various categories is well-handled. To reach a higher band, ensure that you consistently highlight the most significant differences or 'stand-out' features rather than listing too many individual data points, which can sometimes make the report feel like a data dump.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The report is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and distinct paragraphs for advantages, disadvantages, and environmental factors. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'Meanwhile', 'In contrast', and 'As for' to link your points effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall readability of the text. The referencing is generally clear, though occasionally the transition between specific data points could be slightly more fluid to avoid a repetitive structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic report, using terms like 'fluctuated', 'declined', 'recovered', and 'significant'. Your word choice is generally precise, and you avoid repetition by using synonyms for trends. There are no significant spelling errors, and the vocabulary used is sufficient to convey complex information clearly. To move toward a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or nuanced reporting verbs to describe the data, which would add further precision to your analysis.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your writing displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use subordinate clauses effectively, such as 'while noise was regarded as the least serious'. There are very few grammatical errors, and the punctuation is generally accurate. A minor slip like 'shops was was' is a rare oversight. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is strong throughout the response. The sentences are clear and easy to follow, indicating a high level of grammatical competence that supports the overall clarity of your report.

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