Rents and Incomes in Marlowe City, 2010-2024
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 question with a model answer of 197 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 20 minutes. Write at least 150 words.
The table below shows the average monthly rent (in GBP) for a two-bedroom flat in four neighbourhoods of Marlowe City in 2010, 2017 and 2024. The line graph shows the median household income (in GBP, thousands per year) in the same city over the same period. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. [Table — Average Monthly Rent for a Two-Bedroom Flat, GBP] Neighbourhood | 2010 | 2017 | 2024 Old Quarter | 720 | 1,050 | 1,560 Riverside | 880 | 1,320 | 1,940 Northgate | 540 | 760 | 1,090 Eastfield | 480 | 640 | 880 [Line Graph — Median Household Income, GBP thousands per year] Year | Median Income 2010 | 28.4 2012 | 29.1 2014 | 30.2 2016 | 31.6 2018 | 33.0 2020 | 33.5 2022 | 35.2 2024 | 37.1
How to approach it
- 01Paraphrase both the table and the line graph in your introduction
- 02Write a clear overview that compares the two trends, not just describes them separately
- 03Group neighbourhoods by similarity rather than listing each one in turn
- 04Use percentage change and ratios to make the income vs rent gap explicit
- 05Use a mix of linking phrases: 'by contrast', 'consequently', 'whereas'
- 06Avoid listing every number — pick the most telling figures
Model answer
197 words in 5 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
The table and line graph present rental costs across four neighbourhoods of Marlowe City and the city's median household income between 2010 and 2024.
Overall, rents more than doubled in every neighbourhood during the period, whereas median income grew far more modestly, suggesting that housing affordability worsened markedly. Riverside remained the most expensive area throughout, while Eastfield stayed the cheapest.
Looking at rents, Riverside rose from GBP 880 in 2010 to GBP 1,940 in 2024, an increase of around 120 per cent. The Old Quarter followed a similar trajectory, climbing from GBP 720 to GBP 1,560. Northgate and Eastfield, the more affordable districts, also saw substantial rises, reaching GBP 1,090 and GBP 880 respectively, although their absolute figures remained well below those of the inner-city neighbourhoods.
By contrast, the line graph shows that median household income increased gradually and steadily, from approximately GBP 28,400 in 2010 to GBP 37,100 in 2024, a rise of just over 30 per cent. The trend was largely linear, with only a brief plateau between 2018 and 2020.
Consequently, the gap between rent growth and income growth widened considerably, with rents outpacing earnings by roughly four to one over the fifteen-year span.
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 38 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
10.5 fewer than the median answer for this task type
12 words at the shortest, 33 at the longest
1 more than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 21.9 words and vary by 6.9 words either side of that, running from 12 words to 33. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 4 of the 9 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
6 in total, spread across 3 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
by contrast, although, whereas, while
consequently
overall
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 77 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 63 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 5 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Achievement
Cover both visuals, identify key features and compare trends
Coherence & Cohesion
Organise paragraphs by chart and tie findings together
Lexical Resource
Use precise vocabulary for rents, income and proportional change
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Accurate past tenses, comparatives and percentage structures
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