Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-12

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 5.5)

The bar charts and line graph illustrate the results of three-year survey investigating the advantages and disadvantages of living in london, as well as the extent to which people considered litter, air quality and noise to be major problems.

Overall, the range of shops was the most popular aspect of living in london. while, the cost of living was one of the main disadvantages. In addition, the percentages of people identifying litter, noise, poor air quality as major problems generally declined over the period.

Looking at the positive points, the range of shops was the most popular choice

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the topic and give a relevant overview, noting that shops were the leading positive feature and that litter, air quality and noise generally became less problematic. However, the report is incomplete: it stops after beginning the first detail paragraph and gives no supporting figures or comparisons for the positive or negative features. The overview also says the cost of living was “one of the main disadvantages” without comparing it with traffic congestion or crime, which were similarly high in Year 1. The response is 98 words, below the required 150, so there is not enough coverage of the charts. To improve, complete the report with selected figures and clear comparisons across all three displays.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic, recognisable structure: an introduction is followed by an overview and the start of a detail paragraph. The overview groups the charts’ main themes, and “Overall” and “Looking at the positive points” help signal the stages of the report. However, the response ends abruptly after “the range of shops was the most popular choice,” so there is no progression into evidence or the remaining chart information. The transition “while” after a full stop is also awkward, and the overview’s ideas are compressed into one paragraph. Use complete, clearly separated paragraphs and develop the report in a logical order—for example, positive features, negative features, then the problem ratings—with linking phrases that connect comparisons rather than merely announce a topic.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for describing the task, with relevant phrases such as “advantages and disadvantages,” “most popular aspect,” and “major problems.” You also use “percentages” appropriately to refer to survey responses. There are some imprecise or less natural choices: “the extent to which people considered … to be major problems” is wordy, and “one of the main disadvantages” is vague when the chart allows a more precise comparison. The repeated use of “living in London” and “problems” also limits variety. Aim for concise, chart-focused language such as “respondents,” “proportion,” “drawback,” and “fell over the period.” Check spelling and capitalisation of place names, particularly “London,” to maintain accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both a complex introductory sentence (“as well as the extent to which…”) and shorter overview statements, showing some variety. Meaning is generally understandable, but several grammatical and punctuation issues remain. The opening needs an article: “a three-year survey.” In the overview, “while” should not begin a fragment after a full stop; join it to the preceding clause or start a complete sentence. There are also inconsistent spaces around punctuation and an unfinished final sentence, which leaves the structure incomplete. Practise combining comparisons in complete sentences and checking articles, sentence boundaries and punctuation. For example: “The range of shops was the most popular positive feature, while the cost of living was among the leading drawbacks.”

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.