Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-15
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)
Ashdown Museum is a great place to visit for all type of people. As this museum is very old, it requires refurbishment totally. Recently, in this year, the museum was refurbished fully. We are going to compare the satisfaction level of visitors before and after refurbishment. We are also going to calculate the number of visitors coming to visit museum before and after refurbishment.
The refurbishment of the museum started around mid year and it takes 2 months to complete. After that, it again opened for all visitors. During the year before refurbishment, total number of visitors those visited museum was 74,000. During the year after refurbishment, total numbers of visitors those visited museum was 92,000. This stats clearly showed us that after refurbishment, people were more enthusiastic to visit museum. As a result, the number of visitors increased significantly while comparing during the year before and after refurbishment. To confirm the review of visitors, we organized one survey with different options including very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied, very dissatisfied and no response. Now we are going to compare the result of before and after refurbishment.
As a result of survey, we are seeing that before refurbishment, the percentage of very satisfied visitor was 15, the percentage of satisfied visitor was 30, the percentage of dissatisfied visitor was 40, the percentage of very dissatisfied visitor was 10 and the percentage of no response of visitors were only 5. Whereas compared to this after refurbishment, the percentage of very satisfied visitor was increased to 35, the percentage of satisfied visitor was 40, the percentage of dissatisfied visitor was decreased to only 15 and the percentage of very dissatisfied and no response of visitor both were 5 each.
In conclusion, we can clearly say that after refurbishment, visitors were very happy compared to before refurbishment. As a result, number of visitors also increased and as well as survey result also suggests same. So, the refurbishment of this museum plays a big role for its future.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the data, including the increase in visitor numbers and the shift in satisfaction levels. However, the tone is overly informal and conversational, which is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 report. Phrases like 'We are going to compare' and 'Now we are going to compare' are meta-commentary that should be avoided. While the key data points are identified, the analysis lacks a professional, analytical style. The inclusion of personal opinions or narrative elements, such as 'Ashdown Museum is a great place to visit', detracts from the objective nature of the task. To improve, focus on presenting the data directly without addressing the reader or describing the process of writing the report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, the phrase 'As a result' is used multiple times in a way that feels forced. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is abrupt. While there is a clear progression from the visitor numbers to the survey results, the linking between sentences could be more sophisticated. The conclusion is present but relies on repetitive phrasing rather than synthesising the information effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. There is a reliance on basic descriptors such as 'great', 'big', and 'happy'. The student uses 'stats' and 'number of visitors those visited', which are either informal or grammatically awkward. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or collocations related to data reporting (e.g., 'a significant surge', 'a marked improvement', 'the proportion of'). The repetition of 'percentage of... visitor' throughout the third paragraph makes the writing feel monotonous and limits the range of expression.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'for all type of people' (should be 'types'), 'it requires refurbishment totally' (awkward word order), and 'total number of visitors those visited' (redundant and incorrect relative clause). Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to basic syntax and proofreading for pluralisation and verb tense consistency is required.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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