Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The bar chart and line graph illustrates the information of result of a survey which conducted over a three year period to discover what people think best things about living in London, and worst things.

Overall, it is evident that best things about living in London range of shops represented Highest percentage, while transport, and night life stood at lowest percentage. on the other hand, worst things about living in London cost of living, traffic congestion, and crime accounted for the highest proportion, whereas cost of housing, and transport least common.

The best things about living in London range of shops in year 1 to nearly 45%, but in year 2 it declined gradually just above 40%, and it increased steadily in year 3 approximately 42%. The best things about living in London transport in year 1 and year3 recorded 20% , but in year 2 it decreased sharply around 15%. Moreover, The worst things about living in London cost of living, traffic congestion, and crime in year 1 just over 60%, and year 2 it was fluctuated, but in year 3 cost of living, and traffic congestion remained at same point 50%, bug in crime it fell dramatically 40%.

Furthermore, major problem in london was litter in year 1 70%, but it climbed in year 2 to nearly 75%, and it again declined in year 3 around 65%. People face Air quality, problem stayed constant from year 1 to year 3 about 65%. Noise problem also remained unchanged from year 1 to year 3 exactly 60%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the charts, but the presentation of data is often confusing and inaccurate. For example, the report mentions 'litter' and 'air quality' as major problems, which are not clearly linked to the provided categories in the prompt. Furthermore, the description of trends is frequently imprecise, such as stating that 'cost of living, traffic congestion, and crime' were at 60% in year 1, which is difficult to verify against the provided visual data. The overview is present but lacks clarity due to grammatical issues. To improve, ensure that data points are accurately transcribed and that the relationship between the categories and the figures is clearly articulated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'on the other hand' are used, but the logical flow between sentences is frequently disrupted by grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. Referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to track which data point refers to which category. While there is an attempt to group information, the progression of ideas is not always logical, and the lack of precise linking words hinders the overall readability of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive. The student relies heavily on basic descriptors such as 'best things' and 'worst things' rather than using more precise academic terminology like 'positive aspects' or 'primary concerns'. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'it was fluctuated' instead of 'it fluctuated' and 'remained at same point'. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of variety and the frequent errors in word formation prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Expanding the range of reporting verbs and adjectives would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The bar chart and line graph illustrates'), missing articles ('in year 1'), and incorrect sentence structure (e.g., 'People face Air quality, problem stayed constant'). The student attempts to use complex sentences, but these are often faulty, leading to confusion. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring that subjects and verbs agree, and using articles correctly before nouns. Reducing the number of run-on sentences will also help improve clarity.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.