Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-13

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 illustrates the best and worst things about living in London and the line graph provide information about the proportion of people were agree that litter, air quality and noise are the major problem in London.

Overall, the most noticeable feature is that the proportion of the worst things is considerably higher than the best things about living in London over a three-year period. Most of the people were agree that these things a huge problem in London by year 1. For example, litter, air quality and noise.

We look first at the best things about living in London. In year 1 the proportion of range of shops increased 45% and the figure fell from 45 to 40 by year 2 or 3. The proportion of job opportunities or mixture of people remained stable at 35% from year 1 to year 3. The proportion of night life and transport similar to 20 and 22 from year 1 to year 3.

In contrast, the worst things about living in London, the figure rose sharply. The proportion of cost of living increased 58% by year 1 and the figure fell from 58 to 48 between year 2 and year 3. The proportion of traffic congestion remained stable at 48% by year 2 and in year 3 decreased from 58 to 48. The proportion of crime increased at 58% by year 1, but the figure fell from 58 to 38 between year 2 and year 3. The proportion of cost of housing remained stable at 35% from year 1 to year 3.

Meanwhile, the 70% people were agreed that litter was the major problem in London and 65% people answering air quality or 60% people answering noise by year 1. In year 2 to year 3 the figure fell from 70 to 60.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover the three chart components and include an overview, identifying litter as a major problem and contrasting the best and worst aspects. However, the overview is unclear and overgeneralised: the worst aspects are not consistently higher than the best ones, and the problem ratings are not all highest in Year 1, since litter peaks in Year 2. Several details are inaccurate or confusing. For example, the best-shop figure falls to about 42% in Year 2 and rises slightly in Year 3, while job opportunities and the mixture of people do not both remain at 35%. The worst-feature figures also vary more than described, particularly for crime and housing. Select the clearest comparisons and report their trends accurately to make the key features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the positive and negative features, followed by the problem ratings. This gives the reader a coherent overall route through the information. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because trends are described imprecisely or repeated, as in the traffic sentence, which says the figure remained stable and then decreased. Linking phrases such as “In contrast” and “Meanwhile” help, but some connections are mechanical, and references such as “these things” are not sufficiently clear. Grouping related figures and using a consistent Year 1–Year 3 sequence for each category would make the comparisons easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “remained stable,” “increased,” and “fell,” and the reader can generally identify the categories being discussed. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning unclear. For instance, “the proportion of range of shops increased 45%” does not naturally describe a survey result, and “people were agree” is not an appropriate expression. Repeated use of “the figure” and “proportion” also makes the report less precise. Aim for accurate reporting verbs and collocations, such as saying that a percentage “stood at” a value or “declined to” a value, while varying vocabulary only when the meaning remains exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use time references to compare the three years, but grammatical control is inconsistent. Agreement errors appear in the opening (“The bar charts illustrates” and “the line graph provide”), and “people were agree” shows difficulty forming verb phrases. Some comparisons also have faulty structures, such as “the figure fell from 45 to 40 by year 2 or 3” and “the proportion of night life and transport similar to 20 and 22.” Articles, prepositions, and sentence boundaries also need attention. These errors sometimes make the intended trend hard to interpret. Practise building clear comparison sentences with a subject, a correctly formed verb, and a precise time phrase; then check agreement and verb forms during editing.

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