Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-03

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 provided table illustrates the amount of tourists to Ashdown Museum ahead of the year it was renovated and after it. Whereas, the given pie charts depicts the data of the gratification level of the visitors.

Overall, the quantity of guests significantly increased following the restoration of the gallery. Furthermore the level of satisfaction of them was also observed to be more compared to the satisfaction level before the refurbishment.

Firstly, the table presents the numerical increase in the number of guest which was 18,000 as compared to the previous year which was 74,000. However, 40 out of 100 tourists were not happy before the renovation with only 15 percent being very satisfied. Considerably, in both the years the volume of guests remained stable with no response.

Dramatically, over the period the voters for very satisfied showed a rapid climb from 15 to 35 percent and also the satisfied tourists jumped from 30 to 10 percent more. A dip was observed in both dissatisfied and very dissatisfied voters by 25 and 5 percent respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the data, such as the increase in visitor numbers and the shift in satisfaction levels. However, the analysis is somewhat hindered by inaccuracies in reporting the figures. For example, you state the increase was 18,000 compared to 74,000, which is confusingly phrased. Additionally, the description of the satisfaction data is occasionally imprecise, such as saying 'satisfied tourists jumped from 30 to 10 percent more', which is mathematically unclear. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are cited accurately and that comparisons are logically structured to highlight the most significant trends rather than listing every change.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on the table and charts respectively. You use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore', 'Firstly', and 'However' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'Considerably, in both the years', which does not function well as a cohesive transition. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the connection between sentences could be smoother to ensure a more professional academic tone.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'renovated', 'restoration', 'gratification', and 'numerical increase'. However, there are some instances of imprecise word choice or unnatural collocations, such as 'amount of tourists' (should be 'number of tourists') and 'voters for very satisfied' (should be 'respondents who were very satisfied'). While these errors do not impede communication, they limit your ability to convey information with the precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is a positive step. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'the given pie charts depicts' (subject-verb agreement) and 'the level of satisfaction of them' (awkward phrasing). There are also issues with preposition usage and sentence construction, such as '10 percent more', which lacks clarity. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points, they occur frequently enough to keep the score in the 6.0 range.

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

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