Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-02

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 tabe and piechart present the number of visitors to Ashdown Museum and their satisfaction during the year before and after refurbishment.

Overall, there was an increase in number of visitors after refurbishment and also, satisfaction of visitors was improved.

To begin with, 74,000 people visited the museum before refurbishment and eventually, the number rose to 92,000 with an increase of 18,000 new visitors after the refurbishment. Referring to piechart, more than half of the visitors were dissatified and very dissatisfied which accounts to 40% and 30% of the whole visitors. 10% of them were satisfied and 15% of them were very satisfied with the old museum.

However, the number of dissatisfied visitors reduced by more than half of the previous number i.e 15%. One third of the total visitors were very satisfied with the new look of the museum. The number of visitors who didn't give any kind of response to the question remain same i.e 5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall trends: visitor numbers rose after refurbishment, and satisfaction improved. The visitor totals are accurate, as is the unchanged 5% with no response. However, several survey figures are misreported: before refurbishment, 40% were dissatisfied and 10% very dissatisfied, not 40% and 30%; 30% were satisfied, not 10%. After refurbishment, 35% were very satisfied and 40% satisfied, so the latter group is omitted. These errors weaken the comparison, and the claim that dissatisfaction fell by more than half is not precise because the combined dissatisfied categories fell from 50% to 20%. Report the categories accurately and compare both positive and negative responses to make the summary more complete and clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the figures before and after refurbishment. This makes the main direction of change easy to follow. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “To begin with,” and “However” help signal progression, although “However” does not establish a strong contrast with the preceding paragraph, which already discusses the before-refurbishment figures. Some connections between ideas are also abrupt, particularly the move from visitor totals to satisfaction data. Grouping the satisfaction figures into positive and negative responses, then comparing the two periods, would create a more logical progression. Clearer references to each survey year would also make the comparisons easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing the charts, including “increase,” “reduced,” “visitors,” and “refurbishment,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate: “accounts to” is not the natural way to describe a percentage, and “new visitors” suggests that all 18,000 additional visits came from new individuals. There are also spelling errors in “tabe,” “piechart,” and “dissatified,” which reduce accuracy. Use precise chart language such as “accounted for,” “the total number rose,” and “the proportion of visitors.” A wider range of accurate terms for satisfaction categories would help you describe the data more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some more developed structures, such as “there was an increase … and also, satisfaction … was improved” and “The number of visitors who didn't give any kind of response … remain same.” The main ideas can usually be understood, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “an increase in number of visitors” needs an article, and “the number … remain same” has incorrect verb agreement and is missing “the.” The phrase “which accounts to 40% and 30%” also has problems with the clause structure and preposition. Aim to check articles, subject–verb agreement, and sentence construction, while using a wider range of accurate complex sentences to connect comparisons.

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