Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The charts below give information on the location and types of dance classes young people in a town in Australia are currently attending.

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The given pie and bar chart provides data about the location and types of dance classes young people in a town in Australia are currently attending.

Overall, a clear disparity is evident across the location of dance classes. Private studios accounted for the highest figure, whereas college-based studios accounted for the lowest. And the second the bar chart illustrates types of dance classes (by age group), Ballet under 11 hold the largest number of students, however Ballet under 11-16 hold the lowest.

Looking first at location of dance classes, private studios occupied the top possion accounted for the largest share, at around 48%, followed by school halls, and community halls and other, whose figures stood at approximately 24%, and 18%, respectively, whereas college-based studios recorded the lowest figure , at 10%

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the two charts and report the main location figures accurately: private studios are highest at 48%, while college-based studios are lowest at 10%. However, the response is incomplete and does not adequately summarise the bar chart. You mention that ballet for under-11s is the largest group and ballet for 11–16-year-olds the smallest, but give no figures or comparisons for tap and modern, so key information is missing. The overview also needs to capture the contrasting age patterns: younger students favour ballet, while modern is most popular among older students. The response is 114 words, below the required 150; 17 words copied from the prompt are excluded from that count. Develop both charts with selected comparisons and supporting data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph beginning “Looking first at location of dance classes.” This gives the reader some direction, and “whereas” helps signal a contrast. However, the progression is incomplete because the location paragraph is the only detailed body paragraph; the bar chart is not developed beyond a brief statement in the overview. Some linking is awkward or unclear, particularly “And the second the bar chart illustrates,” which does not smoothly connect the two chart summaries. Organise the response into a clear overview followed by separate, logically ordered details for each chart, and use concise transitions such as “Turning to the age groups” to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “accounted for,” “share,” “approximately,” and “recorded the lowest figure.” These choices help describe proportions and rankings. There are also some inaccurate or unnatural expressions: “occupied the top possion accounted for” combines two constructions, and “clear disparity” is not a precise description of the location figures. “Possion” is misspelled, while “the second the bar chart” is an unclear phrase. Aim for accurate, natural collocations rather than adding elaborate wording; for example, say that private studios “had the largest share” and introduce the other chart with “Turning to class types.” More precise vocabulary for popularity and age-group comparisons would also help you report the bar chart fully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “whereas” and a sentence using “however.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation problems remain. In “The given pie and bar chart provides,” the plural subject requires “provide.” The overview sentence “Ballet under 11 hold the largest number” has an unclear noun phrase and incorrect agreement; a clearer form is “Ballet classes for under-11s had the largest number of students.” The sentence beginning “And the second the bar chart illustrates” is not grammatically complete, and the final sentence lacks a full stop. Check subject–verb agreement, sentence boundaries, and punctuation, while keeping complex comparisons in complete sentences.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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