Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-01

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 demonstrates the total number of visitors visited to Ashdown Museum before and after it was refurbished. Along with it, there is a chart showing the outcomes of surveys, during the same period, about the satisfaction level of their visit.

Before refurbishment, total number of visitors was around 74,000. After the refurbishment was done, number of visitors increased upto 92,000 as shown in the table.

The pie charts illustrates that before refurbishment, around 15% visitors were very satisfied and 30% were satisfied. 40% of the visitors were very disatisfied, which was a huge number.

After refurbishment, 35% of visitors showed a high level of satisfaction and 40% were satisfied. The percentage of very dissatisfied visitors decreased upto 5% as compared to the previous year, before refurbishment. This showsthat the refurbishment had a huge impact on visitors' satisfaction level.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main context and report the visitor totals accurately: attendance rose from 74,000 to 92,000. You also include several satisfaction figures and recognise that satisfaction improved after refurbishment. However, the account is incomplete and contains an important data error: before refurbishment, 40% were dissatisfied, not very dissatisfied; the very dissatisfied figure was 10%. You omit the after-refurbishment dissatisfied figure of 15%, and do not report the unchanged 5% who gave no response. The overview is also expressed mainly as a conclusion about impact rather than a clear summary of the overall patterns. The response is 11 words below the required minimum. Include a concise overview and select the key changes accurately to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows a generally sensible order: it introduces the visuals, gives the visitor totals, and then compares satisfaction before and after refurbishment. Paragraphing also separates the introduction from the details. Basic linking phrases such as “Before refurbishment” and “After refurbishment” help readers follow the time comparison. However, the response is brief and the progression is limited: there is no distinct overview of the main trends, and the final claim about the refurbishment’s impact arrives without a fuller comparison of the survey results. Some references, such as “Along with it,” are vague, while repeated time markers make the links somewhat mechanical. Grouping the satisfaction categories into positive and negative responses, then comparing both periods, would create clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing the visuals, including “total number of visitors,” “satisfaction level,” “increased,” and “decreased.” These choices make the general topic clear, and “high level of satisfaction” is an appropriate paraphrase. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate: “visitors visited” is redundant, “outcomes of surveys” is less natural than “survey results,” and “increased upto” is not an appropriate expression here. The spelling error “disatisfied” is noticeable, and “huge number” is imprecise when describing a percentage. Aim for concise, accurate chart language and distinguish clearly between “dissatisfied” and “very dissatisfied,” as these are separate categories in the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce several understandable simple sentences and attempt some more complex forms, such as “After the refurbishment was done, number of visitors increased…” and “This shows that…”. Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in sentence structure and grammatical forms are frequent enough to limit accuracy. For example, “the total number of visitors visited” uses an incorrect construction, and “The pie charts illustrates” has a subject–verb agreement error. Articles are missing in “Before refurbishment, total number…” and “number of visitors,” while “This showsthat” also contains a spacing and verb-form problem. The response relies mostly on short, similar sentence patterns. Practise accurate noun phrases and agreement, then combine comparisons using controlled clauses such as “while” or “whereas.”

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