Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-05
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 illustrates the proportion of visitors to Ashdown Museum during the year before and the year after it was refurbished. The pie chats depicts the result of survey asking visitors how satisfied they were with their visit, during the same two periods.
Overall, the number of visitors to Ashdown Museum were the highest after refurbishment and the least number of people came to Ashdown Museum before refurbishment. In the pie chart, in the year before refurbishment category, people were mostly dissatisfied, while in the other category, people gave a satisfied feedback.
To begin with, in the pie chart, in the year before refurbishment, most of the people gave a dissatisfied(40). 30 people were satisfied with the service. Very satisfied and very dissatisfied accounted for 10 and 15 respectively. No response has a minimal figure. However, in year after refurbishment, largely people satisfied to 40. Very satisfied recorded 35 which was the second highest proportion. Dissatisfied people was around 15. The remaining feedback categories represented an insignificant amount.
Moreover, total number of visitors increased after refurbishment, reaching from 74000 to 92000.
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 response covers all parts of the task, including the table and the pie charts. You successfully identify the main trend regarding visitor numbers and the shift in satisfaction levels. However, the data reporting is somewhat inconsistent. For instance, you mention '40' and '30' in the pie chart section without specifying that these figures represent percentages, which is a significant omission for clarity. Additionally, the overview is slightly underdeveloped; while it captures the main points, it could be more precise by explicitly linking the increase in visitor numbers to the improved satisfaction ratings. Overall, the response is relevant and addresses the prompt effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'However', and 'Moreover' to guide the reader. However, the progression of ideas within the third paragraph is a bit disjointed, as the transition between the data points feels mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow could be improved by using more varied linking phrases to connect the table data with the survey results more fluidly. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different data sets.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'refurbished', and 'insignificant'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'gave a satisfied feedback' (should be 'provided positive feedback') and 'largely people satisfied to 40' (which is grammatically awkward). While you attempt to use more specific vocabulary, the phrasing is occasionally unnatural. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that nouns and adjectives are used correctly in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('the number of visitors... were', 'Dissatisfied people was') and missing articles or prepositions. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency. You should pay closer attention to pluralization and verb agreement. Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring they are error-free would help improve your score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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