Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-10
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)
The chart illustrates the information of the survey about people's coffee and tea buying and consuming patterns in five Australian cities.
Overall, while consuming fresh coffee recorded the lowest proportion among the three, going to a cafe for coffee and tea was the most popular habit of people living in Australian cities. Furthermore, the proportion of people drinking instant coffee and going to a cafe for coffee was almost identical in Adelaide.
In Sydney, nearly 62 percent of people go to a cafe for coffee, followed by nearly 46 percent for instant coffee and 44 percent for fresh coffee. Similarly, people from
Melbourne recorded the highest coffee-consuming pattern from visiting a cafe.
Regarding fresh coffee, approximately 34 percent of residents from Brisbane and Adelaide drink it, which is the least across all 5 cities. Buying instant coffee is almost the same, which is around 52-54 percent in Brisbane and Hobart.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the task by identifying main features and making comparisons. However, the coverage is incomplete. While you mention Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide, Hobart is only mentioned in passing regarding instant coffee, and the overall data set is not fully synthesised. The overview is present but could be more analytical; for instance, you identify that cafe visits are popular, but you miss the opportunity to highlight the clear trend that cafe-going consistently outperforms the other two categories across all cities. To reach a higher band, ensure all data points are represented or grouped logically to provide a comprehensive summary rather than listing specific figures for only some cities.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Similarly', and 'Regarding'. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. The transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt, and the connection between the data points in the final paragraph feels slightly disjointed. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the use of referencing could be more precise to ensure the reader follows the comparison between the five cities without confusion. Improving the flow between sentences would elevate the coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'consuming patterns', and 'identical'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'consuming fresh coffee recorded the lowest proportion', where 'consumption of fresh coffee' would be more natural. Additionally, the phrase 'highest coffee-consuming pattern' is slightly awkward. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations related to data reporting. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly, but it lacks the flexibility and sophistication required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'illustrates the information of the survey' (should be 'illustrates the results of the survey') and 'people from Melbourne recorded the highest coffee-consuming pattern' (which is a bit vague). Punctuation is generally accurate, and the errors present do not impede communication. To move to a higher band, you should aim for a wider variety of complex structures and ensure greater precision in your phrasing, as some sentences feel slightly repetitive in their construction.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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