Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-02

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 provides information about the total number of visitors to Ashdown Museum, while the accopmanying pie charts show the result of surveys about their levels of satisfaction before and after refurbishment.

Overall, The total number of visitors increased after the refurbishment. In terms of satisfaction, the largest proportion of vistors were dissatisfied before the refurbishment, whereas the percantage of those become very satisfied increased to bocome the highest among the others, with those who not response to the survey remained the same.

The number of museum vistors grow from 74,000 to 92,000 during the year after refurbishment. The survey results showed that the largest percentage of people was dissatisfied before the refurbishment, at 40%, and this figure declined substantially to only 15% after the refurbishment. Followed by those who satisfied, representing 30% of the total before refurbishment to beocme the largest category after refurbishment, at 40%.

Those who very satisfied made up only 15% and their percentage rose significantly after refurbishment, standing at 35%. In contrast, tenth percent of visitors were very dissatisfied before the refurbishment, declining to 5% only after refurbishment, while the level of those who not

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main trends in both the table and the pie charts. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with relevant data, such as the increase in visitor numbers from 74,000 to 92,000. However, the response is incomplete; the final sentence is cut off mid-thought, which prevents a full summary of the data regarding the 'no response' category. To improve, ensure you complete all comparisons and proofread to ensure no data points are left hanging. Despite this, the key features are well-selected and the comparison between the two periods is generally effective.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In terms of', 'whereas', and 'In contrast' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by mechanical errors and the abrupt ending of the text. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the visitor numbers from the satisfaction survey results. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that every sentence is fully formed to maintain a smooth progression of ideas throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'substantial', and 'refurbishment' correctly. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'accompmanying', 'vistors', 'percantage', and 'beocme', which detract from the overall quality. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, these recurring errors suggest a need for more careful proofreading. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and ensure that your spelling is accurate, as these small slips prevent the response from reaching a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'those who not response' (should be 'those who did not respond') and 'tenth percent' (should be 'ten percent'). Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and word order, such as 'the percantage of those become very satisfied'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the clarity of your writing. Focusing on basic sentence construction and verb tense consistency will help improve your accuracy.

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

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