Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-30
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 compares the total number of visitors who visited Ashdown museum before and after its refurbishment, while the pie charts show the result of visitors' satisfaction surveys during the same periods.
Overall, it is evident that the number of visitors increased after the refurbishment, however visitors satisfaction level improved gradually, with the proportion of very satisfied and satisfied visitors rising and dissatisfaction declined.
To begin with, before refurbishment the museum recorded 74,000 visitors, while after redevelopment of the museum the number of visitors increased to 18000 throughout the period.
Turning to the rest of the data, the results of survey of visitors' satisfaction before refurbishment; 40% of visitors were dissatisfied with the museum, followed by level of satisfaction, accounted for 30%. In both cases, after refurbishment the proportion of satisfied people rose by 10% and the proportion of dissatisfied people dropped by 25%.
Furthermore, the proportion of no response was constant, at 5% in both time periods. the proportion of very satisfied people accounted for 15% before and 35% after redevelopment, a gain of just 20 percentage points. The proportion of very dissatisfied people just below 10% in both time periods.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student attempts to cover both parts of the prompt by describing the table and the pie charts. An overview is provided, noting the general increase in visitors and the shift in satisfaction levels. However, there is a major data error in the body paragraph reporting the visitor numbers: the student states that the number of visitors increased to '18000', which contradicts the source data showing 92,000 for the year after refurbishment (and 74,000 before). Furthermore, some survey percentages are misread or awkwardly phrased, such as 'followed by level of satisfaction, accounted for 30%'. While the main features are identified, the significant data transcription error pulls the score down into the mid-range.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is structured into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that address different parts of the visual data. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'To begin with', and 'Turning to the rest of the data'. However, paragraphing is somewhat disjointed, and referencing can be confusing, particularly in the final paragraph where multiple percentages are listed with weak cohesive ties between sentences. Progression within paragraphs occasionally falters due to abrupt shifts between data points.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of standard vocabulary related to graphs and surveys, such as 'proportion', 'refurbishment', and 'percentage points'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'redevelopment' and 'dissatisfaction'. However, there are notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'visitors satisfaction level improved gradually' (when the change in satisfaction categories is quite distinct) and 'dissatisfaction declined' (which lacks parallel structure with the preceding clause). Spelling is generally acceptable, but word choice limitations and colligational errors are apparent.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses introduced by 'while' and 'as'. Grammatical control is inconsistent. There are missing words and punctuation errors, such as a missing comma in 'before refurbishment the museum recorded 74,000 visitors' and a missing main verb in 'the results of survey of visitors' satisfaction before refurbishment; 40% of visitors were...'. Additionally, a sentence fragment appears in the final paragraph: 'The proportion of very dissatisfied people just below 10% in both time periods', which lacks a verb. These errors occasionally disrupt readability.
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