Band 7.5Strong

Academic Task 1: Commuting in a European city (Band 7.5 version)

Academic Task 1 141 words 1 min read

Task

The table shows the percentage of people using four ways of travelling to work in a European city in 2000 and in 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Transport	2000	2020
Car	62	54
Bus	18	15
Train	12	21
Bicycle	5	8
Walking	3	2

Band 7.5 answer

The table compares the proportion of commuters using five modes of transport in a European city in 2000 and 2020.

Overall, the car remained by far the dominant choice, although its share declined, while rail travel showed the most notable growth.

In 2000, almost two thirds of commuters (62%) drove to work, a far larger share than for any other mode. By 2020 this had fallen to 54%, which was still more than the other four modes combined. Bus use also dipped, from 18% to 15%.

In contrast, the train gained ground considerably. Its share rose from 12% to 21%, an increase of nine percentage points, making it the second most popular option in 2020 and overtaking the bus. Cycling grew more modestly, from 5% to 8%, whereas walking, the least common method in both years, slipped from 3% to 2%.

Topics:tablecommutingband 7.5ladder

Why this scores 7.5

One note for each marking criterion.

Task achievement: A clear overview gives the dominant mode and the biggest change. Key figures are selected and compared, with correct calculations (nine percentage points; the car still exceeds the other four modes combined: 54 against 46).
Coherence and cohesion: Grouped logically: the car and bus first, then the growth of train and bicycle, then walking. Linkers such as 'in contrast' and 'whereas' show relationships.
Lexical resource: Varied, precise data language (dominant, declined, dipped, gained ground, slipped, share, mode).
Grammatical range and accuracy: Complex structures used accurately, including relative clauses, comparatives and participle phrases.
Note: A teaching sample written by AI to show what this band looks like. Errors in the lower versions are deliberate. Not examiner-marked.

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