Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-18
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 percentage of dance classes located at 4 different types of places and the bar chart shows the number of students attending 3 different dance forms with age group of a town in Australia.
Overall, private studio is the most popular place for the students to learn dancing. Additionally, modern dance form is attended by the students of age group 11-16 more than that of the students under 11. However, tap dance and modern dance are more attended by dancers who are under the age 11.
When it comes to the location of dance classes, private studios comprise almost fifty percent of it, whereas, school halls are used as dance classes after school for about a quarter percent. Lastly, the rest 28% belongs to college-based studios and community halls and others.
On the contrary, the most renowned dance form among the students under 11 is ballet which contains 600 students. Nevertheless, the number is half for the students between 11 to 16. Next, the tap dance is equally desirable for both age groups which is between 400 to 500 students. Finally, students of age group 11-16 are admitted more in modern dance with a number above 500 and incase of age group under 11, the number is 300.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting on both the location of dance classes and the types of dance classes by age group. Key features are identified, such as private studios being the most popular location (48%) and the comparison between age groups for modern dance and ballet. However, there are some minor inaccuracies or awkward phrasings in reporting the data, such as stating that tap and modern dance are more attended by dancers under 11, which contradicts the bar chart showing modern dance is highest in the 11-16 age group (520 students). Additionally, phrasing like 'a quarter percent' is mathematically incorrect. Nevertheless, an overall trend is provided, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into four logical paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, body paragraph one focusing on locations, and body paragraph two focusing on dance types. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'Additionally', 'When it comes to', and 'On the contrary'. However, some cohesive transitions feel slightly mechanical or are misused, such as 'On the contrary', which is not entirely appropriate for introducing contrasting data points here. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different visual prompts, ensuring a coherent overall arrangement even though minor referencing and cohesion issues occur.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'illustrates', 'percentage', 'comprise', and 'renowned'. There are some awkward collocations and lexical errors, such as 'quarter percent' (instead of 'a quarter' or '25%'), 'dance form' used repeatedly where 'dance style' or 'genre' might fit better, and 'incase'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main message, but precision is lacking at times, placing it firmly in the Band 6 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writing includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases ('When it comes to the location...'). However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout. For example, 'private studio is the most popular place' should be pluralized ('studios'), 'more attended by dancers' is awkward passive usage, and 'equally desirable for both age groups which is between' lacks punctuation and clarity. Punctuation errors and slight grammatical slips occur, but they do not impede communication, supporting a Band 6 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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