The diagrams below give information about the Eiffel Tower in Paris and an outline project to extend it underground.
Sample Response
The Eiffel Tower is situated close to the Seine River in Paris. It is a metal structure that is 1,063 feet high and weighs 7,417 tonnes. The tower has been a tourist attraction since 1889, when it was built, and there are 1,665 steps that can be climbed in order to reach the two viewing platforms. There are now plans to build below the foundations of the tower. These plans include the development of five underground levels that will incorporate the tower’s ticket office, shopping facilities, a cinema and museum and two floors of underground parking. Although details have yet to be finalised, the principle is that the five floors will be connected by two vertical passenger lifts on either side of the tower. In addition, the floor immediately below the tower, which is planned to house the ticket office, will also consist of a large atrium with a glass ceiling so that visitors can look directly up at the tower itself.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Give precise location Original: close to the Seine River Suggested revision: south of the Seine River Why it matters: The map supports this more specific spatial description.
- 2. Match visual units Original: 1,063 feet high Suggested revision: 324 metres high Why it matters: Using the exact metric measurement shown in the diagram improves visual precision.
- 3. Correct the weight Original: 7,417 tonnes Suggested revision: 10,100 tonnes Why it matters: The diagram labels the metal structure's weight as 10,100 tonnes.
- 4. Remove unsupported detail Original: The tower has been a tourist attraction since 1889, when it was built, and Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: The supplied visual does not provide the construction date or tourism-history claim.
- 5. Use concise phrasing Original: that can be climbed in order to reach Suggested revision: leading to Why it matters: The shorter form expresses the relationship between the steps and platforms more directly.
- 6. Refine the verb Original: incorporate Suggested revision: accommodate Why it matters: Accommodate is a more natural verb for facilities located across planned levels.
- 7. Clarify the list Original: a cinema and museum and two floors Suggested revision: a cinema and museum, plus two floors Why it matters: The comma and plus make the final grouped item easier to distinguish.
- 8. Choose correct noun Original: principle Suggested revision: proposal Why it matters: Proposal refers to the planned design, whereas principle does not fit this meaning.
- 9. Use natural collocation Original: will also consist of a large atrium Suggested revision: will also contain a large atrium Why it matters: A floor contains an atrium; it does not consist of one when it also houses other facilities.
- 10. Organize the description Suggested revision: Divide the response into an overview, existing tower details, and planned underground levels. Why it matters: The single long paragraph obscures the shift from current features to the proposed extension.
Suggested Rewrites
- close to the Seine River south of the Seine River
- 1,063 feet high 324 metres high
- 7,417 tonnes 10,100 tonnes
- The tower has been a tourist attraction since 1889, when it was built, and Delete
- that can be climbed in order to reach leading to
- incorporate accommodate
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response is concise, fluent, and strong in its selection of the proposed underground facilities and their connections. Its main limitation is task coverage: the tower's weight is reported inaccurately, there is no distinct overview synthesising the current structure and planned extension, and the single-paragraph presentation weakens organisation. Prioritise verifying every figure, adding a clear overview, and separating the existing tower details from the proposed five-level scheme.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
Most major features of the tower and underground proposal are covered accurately, but the stated weight conflicts with the diagram and the overview is not clearly signposted.
State the broad contrast between the existing landmark and its planned five-level extension, and verify the weight as 10,100 tonnes.
Coherence and Cohesion
The description follows a clear progression from the tower's present features to the proposed development, although presenting everything in one paragraph limits structural clarity.
Use an overview followed by separate paragraphs for the existing tower and the proposed underground levels.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied, precise, and well suited to architectural description, with natural expressions such as "incorporate" and "immediately below."
Refine occasional wording by using "main idea" or "basic plan" instead of the slightly abstract "principle" in this context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentences, relative clauses, and passive structures are handled accurately, with only very minor awkwardness.
Preserve this strong grammatical control while shortening the longest sentence about the five underground levels for sharper emphasis.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The diagrams below give information about the Eiffel Tower in Paris and an outline project to extend it underground.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.