Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The table illustrates the number of tourists to Ashdown Museum during the year before and the year after it was repaired. The graph demonstrates the satisfaction of visitors with their tour during the same two times.

The two different surveys of visitor satisfaction contain the change in state of satisfaction in the time before refurnished and the time after refurnished.

The year before refurbishment of the museum has very low number of very satisfied visitors with 15 and 30 with satisfied. While the number of dissatisfied visitors stands high at 40 and very dissatisfied have only 10. The number with no response surveys is only 5.

The number of very satisfied visitors rose to 35 and satisfied visitors grew at 40, while the number of dissatisfied visitors has fallen to 15 and very dissatisfied people declined to 5 whereas persons who had not responded had remained at same with 5 in the surveys of year after refurbishment of the museum.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the data, including the total visitor numbers and the shift in satisfaction levels. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the most significant trends, which is essential for a Band 7 or higher. The data is presented in a somewhat mechanical, list-like fashion, and the comparison between the two periods could be more analytical. While all parts of the prompt are addressed, the lack of a cohesive summary statement at the beginning or end limits the effectiveness of the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally repetitive (e.g., 'The number of...'). Transitions between sentences are often abrupt, making the flow feel mechanical rather than fluid. While the paragraphing is present, the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks sophisticated linking, which prevents the response from achieving a higher score. Improving the use of referencing and varied cohesive markers would significantly enhance the clarity of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There is a reliance on basic terms like 'number of' and 'very satisfied'. Furthermore, there are awkward word choices such as 'refurnished' (instead of 'refurbished') and 'same two times' (instead of 'same two periods'). The range of vocabulary is limited, and the student struggles to use more sophisticated collocations or academic terminology to describe the data trends effectively. Expanding the range of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the year before refurnished' (should be 'before the refurbishment'), 'remained at same with 5' (should be 'remained the same at 5'), and 'very dissatisfied have only 10' (should be 'very dissatisfied visitors numbered only 10'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to detract from the overall quality of the writing. More attention to article usage and prepositional phrases is needed.

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

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