Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-05
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 5.0)
The table compares the number of visitors to Ashdown Museum during the year befor and after it was refurbished, while the pie charts illustrate the result of surveys asking visitors how satisfied they were with their visit during the same two periods.
Overall, the number of visitors increased significantly after the refurbishment of the museum. Before refurbishment, the proportion of dissatisfied visitors was at a high of 40 percent; however, this proportion fell to 15 percent.
The year before, very satisfied visitors made up 15 percent, and then this figure rose to 35 percent.
Visitors who did not give their opinion remained stable at 5 percent in both year.
30 percent of the visitors were very dissatisfied before refurbishment. Nonetheless, this portion increased substantially to 40 percent after the refurbishment.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word length requirement of 150 words, containing only 104 words overall. Furthermore, it contains a significant factual error regarding the data: the student incorrectly states that '30 percent of the visitors were very dissatisfied before refurbishment. Nonetheless, this portion increased substantially to 40 percent after the refurbishment,' whereas the visual data actually shows that 40 percent were dissatisfied before and only 15 percent after, while 'very dissatisfied' figures were 10 percent and 5 percent respectively. While the overview touches on visitor numbers and general satisfaction trends, the incomplete length and confused data interpretation prevent full coverage of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
The response uses paragraphing to separate different survey categories and the introduction, providing a basic framework. However, overall progression is limited due to the shortness of the text and abrupt transitions between sentences, such as moving from visitor numbers directly into satisfaction statistics without a cohesive bridge. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'this figure' and 'this portion,' which do not always connect smoothly to the preceding data points. Cohesive devices are minimal, resulting in a somewhat disjointed structure that prevents the writing from flowing naturally from one point to the next.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is minimally adequate to discuss the trends, employing standard terms such as 'increased significantly,' 'proportion,' and 'stable.' However, there are noticeable spelling errors, such as 'befor' instead of 'before,' and some inaccurate word choices due to confusion in the data, where 'very dissatisfied' and 'dissatisfied' categories appear to be mixed up. The range of vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic descriptive terms without attempting less common lexical items. These limitations mean the response sits comfortably within a moderate band for vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The table compares... while the pie charts illustrate...' and conditional or transitional structures. However, there are frequent errors in grammatical structures and agreement, such as 'in both year' instead of 'in both years,' along with awkward phrasing. While these errors do not completely obscure the intended meaning, they occur frequently enough to impede smooth reading and reflect a limited command of more complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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