Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-20

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 given table represents the total number of visitors to Ashdown Museum during the year before and after redesigning, while the pie chart illustrates the proportion of visitor satisfaction in both same years.

Overall, more tourists had visited the museum after refurbishment than before. In addition, satisfaction levels had also increased in the post-renovation period.

During the year before refurbishment, almost 74000 people had toured the museum, while a significant proportion of the population went dissatisfied (40%) and 10% were very dissatisfied with the museum's layout. In contrast, almost half of visitors had marked the survey as satisfied or very satisfied (45% combined). However, 5% refused to give their opinion.

During the year after renovation, the proportion of very satisfied and satisfied had experienced a sharp increase and observed the value of 30% and 40% respectively. Furthermore, Dissatisfied and very dissatisfied responses were reduced to 15% and 5% respectively. However, 5% of the people remained unresponsive.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features from both the table and the charts. The overview clearly highlights the key trends: an increase in total visitor numbers and a general improvement in satisfaction levels post-renovation. Key data points are accurately cited, such as the total visitor figures (74,000 rising to 92,000) and the shift in satisfaction categories. The comparison between the two periods is well handled, and the selection of data is relevant and comprehensive. There are minor slips in reading specific chart values, such as reporting '30%' for very satisfied when the chart shows 35%, but this does not detract from the overall strong performance in addressing the prompt comprehensively and accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. It begins with an effective introductory paragraph paraphrasing the prompt, followed by a clear overview paragraph, and then body paragraphs dedicated to contrasting the two periods. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to guide the reader through the data, such as 'In addition', 'During the year before refurbishment', 'In contrast', and 'Furthermore'. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph serving a distinct function in structuring the summary. While some cohesive relationships could be slightly more sophisticated to reach higher bands, the overall structure is coherent, easy to follow, and logically sequenced.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary suited to an Academic Task 1 response, employing terms such as 'proportion', 'refurbishment', 'post-renovation period', and 'unresponsive'. There are successful attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'went dissatisfied' instead of 'expressed dissatisfaction'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication. With a slightly wider deployment of more precise lexical chunks and collocations relating to data reporting, the lexical score could be elevated further.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses and temporal markers (e.g., 'while the pie chart illustrates', 'During the year before refurbishment, almost 74000 people had toured...'). There are some tense inconsistencies and inaccuracies, particularly the unnecessary use of the past perfect ('had visited', 'had toured', 'had marked') where simple past would be more appropriate for describing historical survey data. However, punctuation and sentence boundaries are generally well controlled, and the grammatical errors present do not impede communication.

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

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