Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The table below shows the numbers of visitors to Ashdown Museum during the year before and the year after it was refurbished. The charts show the result of surveys asking visitors how satisfied they were with their visit, during the same two periods.

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The table describes the total number of visitors before and after refurbished of Ashdown Museum. In addition, the charts demonstrates the survey results of the visitors how happy they were with the museum during this two periods.

Overall, after refurbished the museum the number of visitors reached at peek, the total visitors was around 92000 where the museum only get 72000 before refurbished. The result of the survey clearly shows most of the visitors were satisfied and very satisfied with their service after refurbished which is 40% and 35% respectively. Before refurbished, dissatisfied visitors were high in number, which is nearly 40%. There was a remarkable fall about 15% happened in dissatisfied section after refurbishment.

During the year before refurbishment, Ashdown Museum faced almost 72000 visitors. The survey of these people clearly showing only 15% of them were very satisfied and little higher number of people satisfied with their service. There was a considerable fall in the dissatisfied section about 40% of the visitors who took part in the survey.

Although, after the year of refurbishment the museum witnessed 92000 visitors there and survey shows the remarkable increase in satisfied and very satisfied section 40% and 35% respectively, while the dissatisfied and very dissatisfied section just drop to 15% and 5%.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover both the visitor totals and the satisfaction surveys, and your overview identifies the main contrast: visitor numbers rose after refurbishment, while dissatisfaction fell and positive ratings increased. Most survey figures are reported accurately, including the post-refurbishment figures of 40% satisfied and 35% very satisfied. However, the earlier visitor total is given as around 72,000, whereas the table shows 74,000. The overview also says visitors “reached at peek,” which is unclear and does not accurately describe a peak; the key point is the increase from 74,000 to 92,000. Some details, such as the 5% with no response in both periods, are omitted, but the main features are covered. Use precise figures and make the overview’s comparisons clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and separate paragraphs for the two periods. This helps the reader follow the broad comparison. However, progression is weakened by repetition: the rise to 92,000 and the post-refurbishment satisfaction figures appear in both the overview and the final paragraph, while the before-refurbishment paragraph repeats the dissatisfaction figure already mentioned. Some linking is also awkward or inaccurate, particularly “Although” at the start of the final paragraph, where no contrasting clause follows. Organise the body paragraphs around direct comparisons, and use linking words only when their logical relationship is clear. This would make the information flow more smoothly and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing the charts, including “considerable fall,” “remarkable increase” and “dissatisfied,” so the reader can understand the main trends. There is also some variety in how you refer to the survey categories. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “after refurbished,” “reached at peek,” “faced almost 72000 visitors” and “satisfied with their service.” These choices sometimes make the intended meaning less precise. Use standard chart language such as “after the refurbishment,” “rose to a peak” only when appropriate, and “visitors to the museum.” Aim for accurate, natural combinations rather than adding emphatic adjectives such as “remarkable” repeatedly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including a comparison introduced by “while” and a sentence beginning “Although.” The overall meaning is generally recoverable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “the charts demonstrates” has subject–verb disagreement, and “the museum only get 72000 before refurbished” has problems with tense and sentence construction. In “the survey … clearly showing,” the verb form does not complete the sentence correctly. The final “Although” clause is also left without a main clause. Check agreement, use past-tense forms consistently for the two periods, and ensure each subordinate clause is attached to a complete sentence. These corrections would improve accuracy while retaining your attempts at complex structures.

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