Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-06

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 bar charts and line graph illustrates the outcome of a survey conducted over a three-year period to observe what are the remarks of the residents of London.

Overall, the range of shops were the best thing offered by the city during the timeline. While job opportunities declined, the proportion of museums and art galleries climbed gradually. On the other hand, crime and cost of living experienced a decline over the three-year duration.

However, the first year accounted for nearly 40% of job opportunities before falling to its lowest point at around 36%. Night life witnessed a steady rise, peaking at roughly 24%. The proportion of transport fluctuated during the three-year period, whereas the range of shops recorded the highest percentage of around 45%.

In addition, crime and traffic congestion experienced a noticeable decline throughout the timeline. Traffic congestion peaked at around 56% while crime recorded the same percentage during the first year. Moreover, they both dropped considerably in the second year with the increasing percentage of crime in the last year. Litter has been recorded as one of the major problems in London, beginning at 70%. Furthermore, it peaked at approximately 75% and then witnessed a significant decline during the third year. In comparison, air quality and noise experienced a similar trend.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts and provides a clear overview. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For example, you state that 'crime recorded the same percentage' as traffic congestion in the first year, which is not supported by the visual data. Additionally, the description of trends is sometimes confusing, such as mentioning a 'decline' in crime while simultaneously noting an 'increasing percentage' in the last year. To improve, ensure that your data points are precisely extracted from the charts and that your summary of trends accurately reflects the visual information provided. The report is well-structured, but the factual inconsistencies hinder the overall achievement of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'However,' 'In addition,' and 'In comparison' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas within the third paragraph is slightly disjointed, as the transition between different categories feels mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, but the logical flow is occasionally interrupted by the aforementioned data inaccuracies, which make it difficult for the reader to follow the trends you are describing. Improving the precision of your comparisons would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuated,' 'witnessed a steady rise,' and 'peaking.' There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'what are the remarks of the residents,' which is slightly unnatural; 'what residents think' or 'the opinions of residents' would be more appropriate. You also use 'range of shops' correctly, but some descriptions of trends are repetitive. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repeating the same verbs to describe changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there are some error-free sentences, there are also grammatical slips, such as 'the range of shops were' (subject-verb agreement error; should be 'was') and 'the given bar charts and line graph illustrates' (should be 'illustrate'). Punctuation is generally handled well, and the errors present do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that your complex sentences are constructed with greater precision to avoid minor inaccuracies.

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