Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-02

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 5.5)

The given two tables shows the best and worst things about living in London, respectively. While the third table shows a research based on the scenarios of having major problems in London, according to the people.

Table 1 represents the best things about living in London shows that the range of shops lying at peak of 45 approximately, followed by a decrease in job opportunities beyond 35 near 40, while the mixture of people remained moderate between 30 and 40. Furthermore, the graph of year 1 declines further for museum and galleries pointing at 30, followed by a pitfall at 21 approx. for night life. At last, the graph for transport climbed a little from 20.

Table 2 illustrates the worst things about living in London explains that the crimes peaked at 60 approximately in year 1 with a decrease in year 2 remaining almost stable in year 3 as well. Followed by cost of living also lying at peak at 60 approx., meanwhile the traffic congestion remained also high at 60 approx. Furthermore, the graph of declines further for transport at almost 40, followed by a little decline for cost of housing leaving it at the lowest among other between 30 and 40.

Third graph gives information about a review based on the opinions of people, showing that the litter got the peak, with air quality at 70 and noise at 60 in Year 1. In year 2, litter again peaked at 75, followed by air quality at 74, with almost stable noise at 59 approx. In year 3, all three decreased a little with keeping litter the highest, with air quality moderate and noise the lowest among three.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the provided charts, but it fails to accurately interpret the data. The student misidentifies the charts as 'tables' and struggles to clearly distinguish between the different categories and years. The description of trends is often confusing, such as stating 'range of shops lying at peak of 45 approximately' without clear reference to the units or the specific timeframes. Furthermore, the report lacks a clear overview, which is essential for Task 1. The information is presented in a fragmented way, making it difficult for the reader to grasp the main trends or comparisons between the categories. To improve, focus on identifying the key features and grouping data logically rather than listing figures for each category.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is divided into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression of ideas is weak. The use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'At last, the graph for transport climbed a little' or 'Furthermore, the graph of declines further'. These transitions do not effectively link the ideas or show the relationship between the data points. The referencing is also unclear at times, making it difficult to follow which chart or year is being discussed. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear focus would significantly enhance the flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. The student relies heavily on basic descriptors like 'peak', 'decline', and 'high'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'pitfall at 21 approx.' and 'review based on the opinions of people'. The phrasing is often unnatural, which hinders the precision of the report. To reach a higher band, the student should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained steady', 'reached a plateau', or 'experienced a significant drop', and ensure that terms are used in the correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'The given two tables shows' and 'the range of shops lying at peak'. Sentence structures are often repetitive and lack complexity. Punctuation is also inconsistent, and there are awkward phrasings like 'leaving it at the lowest among other between 30 and 40'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the lack of control over complex structures and the presence of basic errors limit the score. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be beneficial.

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