The following chart illustrates the results of a British survey taken in 2005 related to Housing preferences of UK people.
Sample Response
The given bar graph shows data on the housing preferences of UK citizens and this data was taken as part of a survey made on 2005. As is observed from the data, most of the London dwellers preferred flats while detached & semi-detached houses were more popular among the people of Oxford and Cambridge. As is presented in the bar graph, about 58% citizen of London preferred flats while less than 30% people of Oxford and Cambridge preferred flats as their housing. Interestingly people from all those three cities preferred terrace houses in a similar percentage which is around 15-18 %. Least preferred housing type for London people was detached houses which were preferred by less than 10% of London citizens while this housing type was preferred by about 25% Oxford people and 35% Cambridge people. Finally, semi-detached houses were more preferred by Oxford and Cambridge people (about 27%) and only 17% people from London preferred this sort of housing. To summarise, the survey result summarises that flat was the most preferred housing solution for London people while Oxford and Cambridge's people preferred detached and semi-detached housing.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Correct time phrase Original: survey made on 2005 Suggested revision: survey conducted in 2005 Why it matters: A survey is ‘conducted’, and years take the preposition ‘in’.
- 2. Use formal conjunction Original: detached & semi-detached houses Suggested revision: detached and semi-detached houses Why it matters: Write ‘and’ rather than an ampersand in a formal report.
- 3. Fix percentage phrase Original: 58% citizen of London Suggested revision: 58% of London citizens Why it matters: A percentage referring to people requires ‘of’ and a plural count noun.
- 4. Add percentage preposition Original: less than 30% people of Oxford and Cambridge Suggested revision: less than 30% of people in Oxford and Cambridge Why it matters: Use ‘of’ after a percentage and ‘in’ to relate residents to cities.
- 5. Fix determiner phrase Original: all those three cities Suggested revision: all three cities Why it matters: ‘All three’ is the standard determiner pattern for a specified group of three.
- 6. Use chart category Original: terrace Suggested revision: terraced Why it matters: The housing category shown in the chart is ‘terraced houses’.
- 7. Add article Original: Least preferred housing type for London people Suggested revision: The least preferred housing type among Londoners Why it matters: The superlative phrase requires ‘the’, and ‘among Londoners’ is the natural construction.
- 8. Fix percentage phrase Original: 25% Oxford people Suggested revision: 25% of Oxford residents Why it matters: Use ‘of’ between a percentage and the group it describes.
- 9. Fix data agreement Original: this data was taken Suggested revision: these data were collected Why it matters: The plural form ‘data’ takes ‘these’ and ‘were’ in formal academic usage.
- 10. Use neutral term Original: dwellers Suggested revision: residents Why it matters: ‘Residents’ is the more neutral formal term for people living in a city.
- 11. Clarify preference Original: as their housing Suggested revision: as their preferred housing type Why it matters: The revision makes clear that the chart measures preferences rather than actual housing.
- 12. Use proportions correctly Original: in a similar percentage Suggested revision: in similar proportions Why it matters: ‘Proportions’ is the natural plural noun for comparable percentage shares.
Suggested Rewrites
- survey made on 2005 survey conducted in 2005
- detached & semi-detached houses detached and semi-detached houses
- 58% citizen of London 58% of London citizens
- less than 30% people of Oxford and Cambridge less than 30% of people in Oxford and Cambridge
- all those three cities all three cities
- terrace terraced
Why this response received Band 6.5
The report covers every housing type, makes useful city comparisons, and presents most percentages accurately. Its principal weakness is the repeated claim that Oxford preferred detached or semi-detached homes, although flats were marginally its leading choice; correct that overview first, then improve sentence-level accuracy with plural nouns, articles, prepositions, and possessive forms.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response provides a clear overview and covers all categories with mostly accurate comparisons, but it misidentifies Oxford’s leading preference.
Revise the overview to state that flats were slightly highest in Oxford, while detached houses clearly led only in Cambridge.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses logically from an overview to category-by-category comparisons, though paragraphing and some linking feel mechanical.
Use separate overview and detail paragraphs and reduce repetitive framing such as “As is observed” and “As is presented.”
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is adequate for describing preferences and comparisons, but repetition and awkward choices such as “housing solution” limit flexibility.
Use more natural alternatives such as “housing type” or “preferred accommodation” and avoid repeatedly using forms of “prefer.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses both simple and complex structures, but recurring errors with agreement, articles, prepositions, and possessives reduce accuracy.
Correct forms such as “in 2005,” “58% of citizens,” and “people in Cambridge” throughout the report.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The following chart illustrates the results of a British survey taken in 2005 related to Housing preferences of UK people.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.