The diagrams below give information about two road tunnels in two Australian cities.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 1 question on IELTSX. The diagrams below give information about two road tunnels in two Australian cities.

Two Road Tunnels Two Australian Cities Diagram - IELTS Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

IELTS Writing Task 1 chart for Two Road Tunnels Two Australian Cities Diagram
Chart supplied with the IELTS Writing Task 1 question: Two Road Tunnels Two Australian Cities Diagram

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 7 · 238 words.

The diagrams illustrate two road tunnels in Australian cities, comparing their location, depth, length, construction period, cost and internal design.

Overall, the two tunnels share a twin-tube structure, but Tunnel B is considerably longer, deeper and more expensive than Tunnel A, and was built much later. The most notable difference is that Tunnel A runs beneath a body of water, whereas Tunnel B passes under a built-up urban area.

Tunnel A was constructed between 1987 and 1992 at a cost of $556 million. It extends for 2.2 kilometres and lies 25 metres below the surface, passing under a stretch of water crossed by a suspension bridge. The tunnel is cut through a layer of stone and sand beneath the water. Its cross section reveals two tubes, each carrying traffic in a single direction, with a lorry lane and a car lane in each.

Tunnel B, by contrast, was built between 2004 and 2007, taking three years less than its counterpart, which required five. However, it cost $1.1 billion, almost twice the figure for Tunnel A. At 3.6 kilometres, it is roughly 1.4 kilometres longer and descends to a depth of 35 metres, passing beneath the city’s dense skyline and road network rather than a waterway. Its cross section also differs: one tube holds two car lanes alongside a lorry, while the other combines a car lane with a lorry lane, suggesting a more flexible arrangement for mixed traffic.

Examiner feedback

This is a clear, well-organised response with a proper overview and accurate use of the key figures, including the length difference, construction periods and cost ratio. The main weaknesses are the uneven coverage, with Tunnel A described in more depth than Tunnel B, and a speculative final inference about the lane arrangement that is not clearly supported by the diagram.

Task Achievement - 7

- The overview identifies the twin-tube structure and the key contrast (Tunnel A under water, Tunnel B under an urban area), and it reports Tunnel B's greater length, depth and cost. - Figures are accurate and well used: the 1.4 km length difference, the three-year and five-year construction periods, and the near-doubling of cost ($556m vs $1.1bn) are all correct. - Tunnel A receives more detailed description than Tunnel B. The inference that the mixed lane arrangement suggests 'a more flexible arrangement for mixed traffic' is speculative and not clearly supported by the diagram.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Paragraphing is logical: introduction, overview, then a detailed paragraph for each tunnel, with comparison signposted. - Contrast markers ('whereas', 'by contrast', 'however') and the reference 'its counterpart' link the two tunnels clearly. - Progression is clear, though the comparison is mostly sequential rather than integrated point by point, so some comparisons are left for the reader to make.

Lexical Resource - 7

- Vocabulary is precise and suitably varied: 'considerably', 'counterpart', 'built-up urban area', 'dense skyline', 'descends to a depth of'. - Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout. - Some repetition of 'tunnel', 'lanes' and 'cost' could be reduced with synonyms or pronouns, and 'lorry' may not match the diagram's terminology, so check it against the image.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- A good range of complex structures is used, including relative clauses, participle phrases ('passing beneath...') and contrastive constructions ('taking three years less than its counterpart, which required five'). - Sentences are largely error-free, and tense use (past for completed construction) is consistent. - Punctuation is generally well controlled; the sentences are accurate without being repetitive.

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