Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-10
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 charts showcases a survey taken over three particular year to find what residents who lived in London thought about it. At a glance, about 60 percent of people found the cost of living to be expensive in year 1 which was considered worst thing to reside there.
The best thing about living in London was getting numerous shops which is ranked highest by the average of almost 45%. Night life was not too good in year 1. Few of the worst things to live in London in year 1 was living cost, Traffic jams and crime. Meanwhile in year 2, traffic congestions was highest ranked. Furthermore, year 3 had same pattern as year 1 but a bit low percent.
The major issues in London was litter, air pollution and noise pollution. Litter was awful and majority of the population agreed to it and about 65% people agreed that air quality was terrible. About 58% of public found noise pollution to be annoying.
Overall, the shopping centers and job opportunities as well as diverse culture are fascinating while residing in London, there are downsides likes living cost, crime and pollution which affects the lives of residents.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to address the task but fails to provide a clear, accurate overview of the data. The description of the charts is disjointed and lacks precision. For instance, the report mentions 'year 1', 'year 2', and 'year 3', but the provided image does not clearly label these as time-series data in a way that supports the student's narrative. Furthermore, the student makes sweeping generalizations about 'major issues' like litter and air pollution, which are not clearly supported by the provided visual data. The report lacks a clear summary of the key features, and the data points mentioned are often vague or inaccurately interpreted, leading to a failure to fully cover the requirements of the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. While there are some cohesive devices used, such as 'Meanwhile' and 'Furthermore', they are often used mechanically or to connect ideas that do not follow a clear analytical path. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when discussing the years, which makes it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison. The transition between the discussion of 'best things' and 'major issues' is abrupt, and the overall structure lacks the cohesive flow expected at higher bands.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'best thing', 'worst thing', and 'not too good' are simplistic and lack the academic tone required for an IELTS Task 1 report. There are also issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'getting numerous shops' and 'a bit low percent'. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the range of vocabulary is insufficient to demonstrate the flexibility and precision required for a higher band score. More precise terminology related to data description, such as 'proportion', 'fluctuation', or 'significant', is missing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The given charts showcases', 'major issues in London was'), incorrect article usage, and awkward phrasing ('a survey taken over three particular year'). Punctuation is also inconsistent. While the reader can understand the general intent, the frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band. A greater focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and pluralization is necessary.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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