Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-12

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 8.0)

The provided bar charts and line graph illustrate the findings of a three-year survey regarding residents' opinions on the positive and negative aspects of living in London, as well as their views on specific urban problems.

Overall, the range of shops was consistently considered the best feature of the city, whereas the cost of living remained the most prominent drawback. Additionally, while complaints regarding most negative aspects generally declined over the period, litter remained a highly cited issue throughout the three years.

According to the first bar chart, the 'range of shops' was the most popular aspect of London life, cited by roughly 45% of respondents in Year 1 and remaining above 40% in Year 3. 'Job opportunities' and the 'mixture of people' were also highly rated, both hovering between 35% and 38% across the period. Notably, appreciation for 'museums and art galleries' saw a steady increase, rising from approximately 29% in Year 1 to around 34% by Year 3.

Regarding the worst aspects, the 'cost of living' was the leading concern, initially selected by nearly 60% of people before dropping slightly to 50% in Year 3. However, there were significant shifts in public perception regarding 'traffic congestion' and 'crime'. Traffic congestion was a primary complaint for over 55% in the first two years but plummeted to roughly 38% in Year 3. Similarly, concerns about crime dropped sharply from approximately 55% in Year 1 to roughly 40% in the subsequent years.

Finally, the line graph reveals that 'litter' was considered a major problem by the highest percentage of residents, peaking at around 75% in Year 2 before falling to 65% in Year 3. Conversely, the percentage of people troubled by 'air quality' and 'noise' experienced slight but consistent downward trends over the three years, finishing at approximately 60% and 55%, respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by successfully describing the information presented across multiple charts and a line graph. The overview paragraph accurately highlights the overall trends, such as the range of shops being the best feature and the cost of living being the primary drawback. Key data points are appropriately selected and reported, such as appreciation for 'museums and art galleries' rising from approximately 29% to around 34%, and traffic congestion plummeting from over 55% to roughly 38%. The data is well-selected to give a clear and comprehensive summary without unnecessary listing of every single figure. All aspects of the visual data are covered accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

Ideas are logically sequenced and progress naturally from the general overview to specific details in the charts and finally the line graph. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, with logical transitions used between paragraphs, such as 'According to the first bar chart,' 'Regarding the worst aspects,' and 'Finally, the line graph reveals that.' Cohesive devices are used skilfully and unobtrusively, ensuring that the relationships between ideas remain transparent and easy to follow. Paragraphing is used effectively and appropriately throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The vocabulary used is varied, fluent, and appropriate for an academic report. The writer successfully employs less common lexical items and phrasing, such as 'prominent drawback,' 'plummeted,' 'subsequent years,' and 'consistent downward trends.' Word choice and collocations are natural throughout, with accurate handling of subjects and data description verbs. There are no noticeable spelling or word-choice errors, demonstrating a high level of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response features a wide range of complex sentence structures used with a high degree of accuracy. The majority of sentences are error-free, showcasing excellent control over subordination, participial phrases, and comparative structures (e.g., 'Additionally, while complaints regarding most negative aspects generally declined over the period, litter remained a highly cited issue...'). Punctuation is handled flawlessly, and any minor syntactic slips are completely absent. Grammar supports clear and sophisticated communication of the data.

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