Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-06

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 provides information on the number of visitors who visited Ashdown Museum before and after it was refurbished.

Overall, the number of visitors significantly increased after the museum was refurbished. A lot of people were satisfied and very satisfied. However, a few still remained dissatisfied after the refurbishment. A small portion was very dissatisfied, while a few chose to give no response.

Before refurbishment, a good proportion of visitors was satisfied and a small proportion was very satisfied, at 30% and at 15%, respectively.

However, the figures significantly increased for both after the refurbishment, at 35% for satisfied and 40% for very satisfied.

Moreover, many visitors were dissatisfied earlier, before the refurbishment, but the percentage sharply decreased after the museum was refurbished from 40% to only 15%. Although, a few visitors were still very dissatisfied, their proportion was decreased to a half, at 5% earlier before refurbishment it was 10%.

Lastly, the figure of visitors who gave no response remained the same before and after refurbishment, with 5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall changes: visitor numbers rose after refurbishment, positive satisfaction increased, and dissatisfaction fell. Most survey figures are reported accurately, including the unchanged 5% giving no response. However, the table’s visitor totals—74,000 before and 92,000 after—are not stated, despite being introduced in the opening sentence. There is also a significant reversal of the satisfaction labels: before refurbishment, 30% were satisfied and 15% very satisfied; afterwards, 40% were satisfied and 35% very satisfied. Your account gives these after-refurbishment figures the opposite labels. The overview is relevant but general, and the key changes would be clearer if the visitor totals and correctly labelled comparisons were included.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the survey results. Sequencing expressions such as “Overall,” “Moreover,” and “Lastly” help the reader follow the progression, and the comparisons are generally grouped by satisfaction category. Cohesion is sometimes mechanical, however, with several paragraphs beginning with linking words rather than developing a smoother comparison. “However” is also used where the relationship is not always a contrast, and “Although” begins a sentence fragment-like construction before the main clause. The overview repeats several details that are then covered below. Grouping the positive responses together and the negative responses together, while using clearer references to each year, would make the progression more efficient.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of task-related vocabulary, including “refurbished,” “proportion,” “dissatisfied,” and “remained the same.” These choices make the topic and broad trends clear. Some expressions are repetitive or imprecise, though: “the number of visitors who visited” repeats the same idea, and “a good proportion” is less suitable for a formal data summary than a direct percentage description. “A lot of people” and “a few” are also vague when exact survey figures are available. There are occasional awkward collocations, such as “the figures significantly increased for both,” which makes the comparison less natural. Aim for concise, precise reporting language and use the category labels consistently so the reader can distinguish satisfied from very satisfied.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including contrast clauses with “However” and “Although,” and most meanings remain understandable. Some grammatical errors and awkward constructions are present. In “a good proportion of visitors was satisfied,” the plural noun “visitors” makes the agreement choice awkward; “the proportion of visitors who were satisfied” would be clearer. The sentence beginning “Although, a few visitors were still very dissatisfied” has incorrect punctuation after the subordinating conjunction, and “their proportion was decreased” uses an unnatural passive construction. There is also an extra space in “decreased after.” These issues do not usually prevent understanding, but more controlled clause structure, agreement, and punctuation would improve accuracy.

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