Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-24
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 pie chart illustrates the proportion of several locations of dance classes in a town in Australia, while bar graph depicts the type of dance classes students attend based on their age group.
Overall a major fraction of dance students attend their classes at private studios and the college-based studios are the smallest one in proportion.However, the ballet dance is the most popular one in students under 11, but modern dance is very dominating in students of age 11 to 16.
Private studios are the most popular location for dance classes with 48% of the total locations, which is followed by school halls holding 24% of students. The community halls and other locations contribute only 18%. Although, college-based studios are the smallest one, but it contributes 10% of the total dance studios.
In bar graph ballet dance is the most dominating in under 11 students with 600 participants, but 11-16 aged students are half in numbers. However, in tap dance the number of students in both age groups are almost equal with 450 under 11 students and 430 11-16 years old. In the modern dance classes under 11 students are only 300, while 11-16 years old students are around 520 in numbers.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features of both the pie chart and the bar graph. You successfully highlight the most popular locations and the age-related trends in dance styles. However, the analysis could be improved by making more direct comparisons between the two charts where possible, or by grouping the data more effectively. The overview is present but slightly disjointed, as it combines two distinct data sets. To reach a higher band, ensure that the key features are clearly synthesised rather than just listed, and avoid minor inaccuracies in data reporting, such as the description of college-based studios.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organised into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on the different charts. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'Although', though some are used incorrectly or redundantly. For instance, the use of 'Although' followed by 'but' in the same sentence ('Although, college-based studios are the smallest one, but it contributes...') is grammatically incorrect and disrupts the flow. Referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother to improve the overall progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'contribute', and 'participants'. However, there are some issues with word choice and collocation. For example, describing modern dance as 'very dominating' is not natural English; 'predominant' or 'most popular' would be more appropriate. Similarly, 'the smallest one in proportion' is slightly awkward. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and comparative adjectives would enhance your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and sentence construction. For example, 'the ballet dance is the most popular one in students' should be 'among students'. The sentence 'Although, college-based studios are the smallest one, but it contributes...' contains a double conjunction error. Additionally, there are minor punctuation issues, such as unnecessary commas after 'Overall' and 'Although'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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