Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-28

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 pie chart illustrated the surveys of asking visitors how satisfied they were with their visit, before refurbished Ashdown Museum and after Ashdown Museum.

Overall, the table reflected the number of visitors before the refurbishment and after refurbishment and more visitors visited the Museum after refurbishment with impressive number. Moreover, majority number of people were not satisfied and also very dissatisfied before the renovation but after the renovation large number of visitors were satisfied and very satisfied.

In table, during the year before refurbishment of Museum 74,000 visitors were visited however after refurbishment during the year the number of visitors were surge by 18,000 and in total 92,000 visitors were visited. In the result of survey, it is clearly that almost half of the visitors were dissatisfied and very dissatisfied which is followed by 50%, However after the refurbishment of Museum, almost 75% of the visitors were satisfied and very satisfied.

Also, in survey it is reflected that 5% of the visitors were not responded but after the refurbishment completed which remained the same after the refurbishment of Museum.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student covers all parts of the task by reporting the table data on visitor numbers (74,000 rising to 92,000) and summarizing the satisfaction surveys for both periods. An overview is present in the second paragraph, capturing the main trends of increased attendance and higher satisfaction post-refurbishment. However, some of the data details are imprecise or awkwardly expressed, such as claiming that 'almost half of the visitors were dissatisfied and very dissatisfied which is followed by 50%' (before refurbishment, those two categories totaled 50%, whereas dissatisfied alone was 40%). Despite these minor inaccuracies in handling percentages, the main features and comparisons are successfully identified and presented, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged into four paragraphs, moving from an introduction to an overview, and then detailing the table and survey data respectively. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'Moreover', and 'However'. However, some cohesive links feel mechanical or awkward, such as 'In table, during the year...' and 'Also, in survey it is reflected that...'. Paragraphing is logical, but referencing and transitions between sentences occasionally lack fluidity. The overall progression is clear enough to guide the reader through the data, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'refurbished', 'renovation', and 'surge'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors throughout the text, such as 'The pie chart illustrated' (it is actually bar/survey charts rather than a pie chart), 'visitors were visited', and 'not responded' instead of 'no response'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical inaccuracies restrict the score to Band 5.5, as the errors occasionally cause confusion or require re-reading.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using conjunctions and relative clauses. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, resulting in frequent errors. Examples include passive-active confusion ('visitors were visited', 'after the refurbishment completed'), missing articles ('In table', 'in survey'), and awkward phrasing ('the number of visitors were surge'). While these errors do not completely obscure the intended meaning, they occur with enough frequency to prevent the essay from reaching Band 6.0, placing it firmly at Band 5.0.

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