Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-12

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 pie chart illustrates the total number of visitors to Ashdown Museum during the year before and after the year it was refurbished. Overall, it is clear that no response results of surveys remain the same.

Refurbishments before year trend which was increased then decrease in after year and the trend which decreased later increase in after refurbishment year

Firstly, the results of surveys of visitor satisfaction of very satisfied and satisfied rate increased from 15 to 35 and 30 to 40 in after year. Secondly, there is a sharp decrease in dissatisfied results to 15 from 40. Moreover, very dissatisfied rates of results became half in year after refurbishment. It was 10 and then became 5. In contrast, there is no noticeable change in the surveys of no response over the years. In conclusion, there is a subsequent increase to the total number of visotors to Ashdowm Museum. During the year before refurbishment it was 74,000. During the year after refurbishment it became 92,000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You report the main figures accurately: visitor numbers rose from 74,000 to 92,000, satisfaction increased (very satisfied from 15% to 35%, and satisfied from 30% to 40%), while dissatisfaction fell. You also correctly note that no response stayed at 5%. This covers the key information and includes an overall statement, but the overview is unclear: “Refurbishments before year trend which was increased then decrease” does not explain the overall pattern, and it is not clear what increased and decreased. The opening also calls the visual a “pie chart,” although it combines a table and survey charts. Make the overview explicit: visitor numbers and satisfaction rose, while dissatisfaction declined, with no change in non-responses. The main trends are relevant, though some are less clearly presented than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is an attempt to organise the response with an opening, an overview, sequencing words such as “Firstly” and “Secondly,” and a concluding sentence. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview sentence “Refurbishments before year trend which was increased then decrease” is unclear and does not connect the data logically. The final sentence repeats the visitor totals rather than bringing the main comparisons together. Some linking phrases, including “Moreover” and “In contrast,” are used, but the relationships between points are not always clear. Group the information into a clear overview followed by a paragraph on satisfaction results and one on visitor totals, and use links only where they accurately show contrast or addition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “visitor satisfaction,” “sharp decrease,” “increased,” and “no noticeable change,” which helps convey the main trends. However, word choice and collocation are often awkward or inaccurate: “no response results of surveys remain the same” and “very dissatisfied rates of results” are difficult to interpret. “The pie chart” is also an imprecise label for the combined table and charts, and “subsequent increase” is not a natural way to describe the rise in visitor numbers. Spelling errors such as “visotors” and “Ashdowm” further reduce accuracy. Aim for precise chart language and natural combinations such as “the proportion of visitors who were dissatisfied fell” and “visitor numbers increased.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more complex forms, including “Overall, it is clear that…” and “In contrast, there is no noticeable change…”. However, sentence structure and grammatical control are inconsistent. For example, “Refurbishments before year trend which was increased then decrease in after year” lacks a clear subject and has faulty verb forms, making the meaning hard to follow. In “Firstly, the results … increased from 15 to 35 and 30 to 40 in after year,” the comparison is not expressed in a well-formed structure, and “in after year” is grammatically incomplete. Some other sentences, such as “During the year after refurbishment it became 92,000,” are understandable but would be clearer with a more accurate construction. Practise complete clauses, consistent past-tense reporting, and articles and prepositions in time phrases.

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