Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-05

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 5.5)

The chart illustrates the result of surveys asking vistiors how satisfied they were with their visit to Ashdown Museum during the year before and the year after it was refurbished.

Overall, we can see that during the year before refurbishment the total number of vistiors were 74,000 but after the refurbishment the total number of visitors increased to 92000. Before refurbishment the vistiors got dissatisfied compare to after refurbishment.

Before refurbishment the vistors got only 10% satisfied and many were dissatisfied approximately 40% visitors and only 30% among the vistiors got satisfied of the Ashdown Museum and less vistiors has not given any resonse.

After the refurbishment the vistiors got much satsified nearly 40% and many of the visitors got very satisfied by seeing the refurbishment of the Ashdown museum only a few visitors got dissatisfied approximately 15% and few had not response to the survey. we can conclude that after refurbishment the visitors got very satisfied compare to before refurbishment and the visitors had icrease to 18400 in the next year in Ashdown Museum.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main comparison: visitor numbers rose from 74,000 to 92,000, while satisfaction generally improved after refurbishment. You also report several survey figures, including 40% dissatisfied before and 15% afterwards. However, some data are misreported or unclear: before refurbishment, 15% were very satisfied, not 10%; 10% were very dissatisfied. After refurbishment, 40% were satisfied and 35% very satisfied, rather than describing the latter as “nearly 40%” without distinguishing the categories. The overview also says visitors “got dissatisfied” before, which does not clearly summarise the overall shift. To strengthen the response, accurately distinguish all satisfaction categories and give a concise overview of the major changes. (Fourteen words copied from the task prompt were not counted.)

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and separate paragraphs for the two survey periods. This helps the reader follow the before-and-after comparison. However, progression within the paragraphs is limited: figures are listed in a loose sequence, and the final sentence repeats the claim that visitors were more satisfied after refurbishment. Linking is also sometimes awkward, as in “Before refurbishment … and many were dissatisfied … and only 30%,” where several points are joined without a clear relationship. Use a more deliberate order—overall visitor numbers, then satisfaction categories—and connect contrasts explicitly. Avoid repeating the conclusion, and make references such as “many” or “few” precise by pairing them with the relevant percentages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary such as “refurbishment,” “satisfied,” “dissatisfied” and “survey,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are repeated, particularly “visitors got” and “very satisfied.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “visitors got dissatisfied,” “got satisfied of the Ashdown Museum” and “had not response.” Spelling errors such as “vistiors,” “satsified,” “resonse” and “icrease” also make the writing less controlled. Aim for precise reporting verbs and standard collocations, for example, say that visitors “were satisfied” or “reported dissatisfaction.” Check spelling carefully, especially for words repeated throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the basic meaning is usually recoverable. However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. For example, “the total number of vistiors were 74,000” has subject–verb disagreement; “Before refurbishment the vistors got only 10% satisfied” uses an unclear grammatical pattern; and “the visitors had icrease to 18400” has an incorrect verb form. The sentence beginning “Before refurbishment” also joins several clauses with repeated “and,” making the structure difficult to control. Practise accurate comparisons using forms such as “the number increased from … to …” and “the proportion who were satisfied rose to …,” checking agreement and tense in each sentence.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.