01 The diagrams below give information about two road tunnels in two Australian cities.
Sample Response
The given maps illustrate two different underground tunnel systems for cars in two Australian cities.
Overall, there are a number of differences between the two tunnel systems, in terms of the cost, size, length, time of construction, and the surrounding environment. The first tunnel cost approximately half as much as the second tunnel to construct, however, the first tunnel was significantly smaller in terms of length and vehicle capacity. The first tunnel also took much longer to construct.
The first tunnel, which took twelve years to construct between 1986 and 1998, cost $555 million, and was built underneath a body of water and sand. Meanwhile, the second tunnel only took four years for completion but cost twice as much, at $1.1 billion, and was constructed beneath a layer of stone and clay.
The size of the tunnels was also substantially different, with the first tunnel being 1.5 meters high and 2.2km long, and the second tunnel being 2.5m high and 3.6 km long. The first tunnel system is four lanes wide, while the second tunnel system is six lanes wide.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Name the visuals accurately Original: maps Suggested revision: diagrams Why it matters: The visuals are cross-sectional diagrams rather than geographical maps.
- 2. Use concise terminology Original: underground tunnel systems for cars Suggested revision: road tunnels Why it matters: Road tunnels is the precise term used by the task.
- 3. Name the dimension Original: size Suggested revision: height Why it matters: The visual provides a specific height measurement rather than a general size value.
- 4. Fix comma splice Original: to construct, however, the first Suggested revision: to construct; however, the first Why it matters: A semicolon is needed before however because it joins two independent clauses.
- 5. Use visible comparisons Original: smaller in terms of length and vehicle capacity Suggested revision: shorter and had fewer lanes Why it matters: Length and lane count are the two features directly shown in the diagrams.
- 6. Correct tunnel position Original: underneath a body of water and sand Suggested revision: through sand beneath a body of water Why it matters: The first tunnel passes through sand and lies beneath the water.
- 7. Fix verb pattern Original: four years for completion Suggested revision: four years to complete Why it matters: Took requires the to-infinitive in this construction.
- 8. Correct surrounding material Original: beneath a layer of stone and clay Suggested revision: through stone and clay Why it matters: The second tunnel is shown running through the stone-and-clay layer.
- 9. Use precise noun Original: size Suggested revision: dimensions Why it matters: Dimensions accurately introduces the height and length measurements that follow.
- 10. Complete the date comparison Suggested revision: Add the second tunnel's construction dates, 2002–2006, alongside its four-year duration. Why it matters: The visual gives exact build periods for both tunnels, but this paragraph reports dates only for the first.
Suggested Rewrites
- maps diagrams
- underground tunnel systems for cars road tunnels
- size height
- to construct, however, the first to construct; however, the first
- smaller in terms of length and vehicle capacity shorter and had fewer lanes
- underneath a body of water and sand through sand beneath a body of water
Why this response received Band 8.5
The response gives a comprehensive, accurate comparison, selecting all major differences in construction time, cost, dimensions, capacity, and surrounding geology, and its overview makes the contrasts immediately clear. The main weakness is minor stylistic imprecision in phrases such as took four years for completion and six lanes wide. Refine these collocations and sentence joins to make an already strong report more natural and exact.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The report fully and accurately covers the tunnels' construction periods, costs, dimensions, lane capacities, and geological settings, supported by a clear comparative overview.
Maintain this comprehensive selection while expressing lane capacity as total lanes rather than describing each tunnel as lanes wide.
Coherence and Cohesion
The overview and two focused detail paragraphs create clear progression, with comparisons integrated smoothly throughout.
Strengthen the flow further by avoiding the comma splice before however and varying repeated references to the first and second tunnel.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and appropriately comparative, with only a few slightly unnatural collocations.
Prefer more idiomatic forms such as took four years to complete and had six lanes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex comparative structures is used accurately, and errors are rare and non-impeding.
Use a semicolon or full stop before however when it links two independent clauses.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
01 The diagrams below give information about two road tunnels in two Australian cities.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.