Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-09

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 pie charts illustrate the number of visitors in an Ashdown Museum before and after its refurbishment during the same periods.

Overall, it is clearly seen that, the total number of visitors increases after construction of the museum and prior to construction it dropped down.

In the survey report, it is clearly seen that the 40% of visitors are dissatisfied before the refurbishment and 30% customers are satisfied, while the other 30% opinions are showing little bit response.

On the other hand, after the refurbished, 40% of the visitors are satisfied and 35% are very much satisfied, so a large number of visitors show a positive response (75%), while 20% show some dissatisfaction.

In both charts, the amount of very satisfied visitors varies that is 15% before refurbishment and it accounts for 35% afterwards.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad improvement in satisfaction after refurbishment and report several key percentages accurately, including dissatisfaction falling from 40% to 15% and satisfaction rising to 40%. However, the overview misstates the visitor trend: the total rose from 74,000 to 92,000, rather than increasing after construction while having “dropped down” beforehand. The phrase “the other 30% opinions” is also unclear and does not accurately summarise the remaining categories; before refurbishment, these include 10% very dissatisfied, 5% very satisfied and 5% no response. The response gives limited coverage of the table and survey data, and some comparisons are underdeveloped. It is also 16 words below the required minimum, so there was room to add accurate detail and complete the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs comparing the survey results. Linking phrases such as “Overall” and “On the other hand” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, progression is not consistently clear. The overview’s reference to visitors having “dropped down” conflicts with the increase reported in the table, and “the other 30% opinions” leaves the reader unsure which categories are being grouped. The final sentence repeats the very-satisfied comparison already given, rather than adding a new feature. Organise the response around a clear overview followed by the visitor totals and the main satisfaction changes, using precise references to connect each comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “refurbishment,” “dissatisfied,” “satisfied,” and “positive response,” and the reader can generally understand the comparisons. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing charts: “construction of the museum” does not mean refurbishment, “dropped down” is unsuitable for the visitor total, and “the other 30% opinions are showing little bit response” is difficult to interpret. “Very much satisfied” is also less natural than the chart’s category, “very satisfied.” Aim for accurate reporting verbs and category labels, and avoid vague phrases such as “some dissatisfaction” when the exact combined figure is available. More precise vocabulary would make the data easier to follow.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, including a comparison joined with “while” and a result clause beginning “so.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms are noticeable. For example, “it is clearly seen that, the total number” has an unnecessary comma, while “after the refurbished” uses an incorrect form and “the 40% of visitors are dissatisfied” has an unnecessary article. The sentence about “the other 30% opinions” also lacks a clear grammatical structure. Practise forming direct, accurate comparisons, such as “The proportion of dissatisfied visitors fell from 40% to 15%.” Check articles, verb forms, and punctuation when editing.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.