Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-13

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows the results of a survey about people’s coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five Australian cities.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

This chart illustrates the results of a survey about peoples coffe and tea buying and drinking habits in give Australian cities:Sydney, Melboure, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart. Critireas are: Bought fresh coffee in last 4 weeks, Bought instant coffe in last 4 weeks and went to a cage for coffee or teaa in last 4 weeks.

The biggest percentile for every city except Adelaide is going to cafe for coffe or tea with 61% for Sydney, 64% for Melbourne, 56% for Brisbane and 63% for Hobart. On the other hand buying fresh coffee is the least percentile on the chart with 44% for Sydney, 42% for Melbourne, 34% for Brisbane and Adelaide and 38% for Hobart . Buying instant coffee is average everywhere except Adelaide where its slighlty above going to a cafe for a coffee or tea with 50% ober 49% and 46% for Sydney, 48% for Melbourne, % for Brisbane and 54% for Hobart

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the three survey categories and report several relevant comparisons, including café visits as the highest figure in four cities and fresh coffee as the lowest in most cities. The Adelaide exception is also noticed, with instant coffee slightly exceeding café visits. However, the overview is not fully clear, and some figures are missing or inaccurate: for example, the Brisbane instant-coffee figure is left blank, while Sydney is given as 46% rather than about 45.5%. The statement that instant coffee is “average everywhere” is vague and does not clearly summarise the pattern. To strengthen the response, give a concise overview of the main contrasts, then report the key figures accurately and consistently for all five cities.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable order: it introduces the chart, then compares café visits, fresh coffee and instant coffee. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” help signal contrast, and the comparisons are mostly grouped by category. However, the opening sentence is crowded, and the long second paragraph combines several comparisons in a way that makes the information difficult to follow. The final sentence is especially unclear because it moves between Adelaide and the other cities without a clean structure, and the missing Brisbane value interrupts the comparison. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and detailed comparisons, and organise each detail consistently by category or by city.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “survey,” “percentile,” “buying instant coffee” and “going to cafe,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings reduce clarity. “Percentile” is not the right term for these chart values; use “percentage” or “proportion.” There are also repeated spelling errors such as “coffe,” “Melboure,” “cage” and “slighlty,” alongside the vague phrase “average everywhere.” Aim for accurate, natural collocations such as “the proportion of residents who visited a café” and “the highest figure.” Proofreading spelling and choosing precise terms would make the comparisons easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer comparative sentences, and the main message can usually be understood. However, grammatical control is uneven, particularly in the longer sentences. The opening uses a colon to introduce a list without a complete, well-formed sentence, while “with 50% ober 49%” lacks a clear grammatical relationship between the figures. The final comparison also has an incomplete item (“% for Brisbane”), and punctuation around the city list and the final full stop is inconsistent. Some sentence patterns are repetitive, relying on “with” to attach figures. Build shorter, complete sentences and use clear comparative structures, such as “In Adelaide, instant coffee purchases were marginally higher than café visits.”

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