Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-05

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 4.0)

The graph is about survey conducted over a three year period. The range of shop in 1 year is above 40 percent. In second year it percentage decrease but remain above 40 percent. In third year it percentage also remain above 40 percent. The job opportunities are above 35 percent in first year. In second year it is also approximately 35 percent. It also remains same. Mixture of people is above 30 percent in 1 year. In second year it also remains same. In third year it became less than first and second year but remain above 30 percent. Museums and art galleries in first year are 30 percent. In second and third year it became high as compared to 1 year. The transport is above 20 percent in 1 year. In second year transport is greater than 20 percent. The cost of living is greater than 40 percent in first year. In second year it is less than 50 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response makes a minimal attempt to address the task by lifting a few data points from the first chart, such as the range of shops and job opportunities. However, the report fails to provide an overview, omits the majority of the data categories and charts entirely, and presents a very restricted selection of information. Much of the data is described in vague, repetitive terms such as 'remains same' or 'above 30 percent', rather than offering a clear, structured summary of key trends and comparisons. To reach a higher level, the response would need to cover all relevant parts of the prompt, including the charts for the worst things about living in London and the problems survey, while providing a clear overview of main trends rather than listing isolated figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The organization of the response is extremely weak, as it consists of a single block of repetitive sentences lacking logical progression or paragraphing. Cohesive devices are almost entirely absent, resulting in a disjointed string of observations like 'In second year it percentage decrease... In third year it percentage also remain...' rather than a connected report. Pronoun referencing is also problematic, with unclear references such as 'it percentage' creating confusion. To improve, the writer needs to group related data logically, use effective paragraphing to separate different aspects of the visual data, and employ a variety of cohesive devices to link sentences and ideas smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple phrases like 'above 30 percent', 'first year', and 'second year'. There are several noticeable word choice and morphological errors, such as 'range of shop' instead of 'range of shops' and 'it percentage decrease' instead of 'its percentage decreased'. These inaccuracies restrict the range of vocabulary and occasionally strain the reader's understanding. To achieve a higher band, the student must expand their lexical range to include precise descriptive vocabulary, such as nouns and verbs of change like 'fluctuated', 'declined', or 'remained stable', and ensure correct word forms and collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The grammatical structures are very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences with repetitive subjects. There are frequent errors in verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and articles, such as 'The graph is about survey' missing the article 'a', and 'it percentage decrease' mixing up nouns and verbs. Punctuation and sentence boundaries are basic, and complex structures are largely absent. To progress, the writer needs to demonstrate control over a wider range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences with subordinate clauses, while improving accuracy with basic verb forms, articles, and agreement across the entire text.

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

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