Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-14
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 bar graph illustrates the outcome of a survey about individuals coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five cities of Australia in last 4 weeks.
Overall, it can be seen that most of population in Australia prefers to had a coffee or tea in a cafe except Adelaide where people bought instant coffee the most.
Turning to the details, in Sydney the percentage of fresh coffee was lowest among the three categories which was 44% and ratio of instant coffee was 1% more than fresh coffee and the percentage of people having coffee at cafe was 62%. Similarly, in Melbourne the proportion of fresh coffee, instant coffee and coffee at a cafe was 43%, 48% and 64% respectively.
Moving further, in Brisbane the percentage of fresh coffee was 34% , instant coffee was 53% and tea at a cafe was 3% more than instant coffee. Moreover, in Adelaide The proportion of fresh coffee was 34.5%, instant coffee was 50% and cafe was 49%. In Hobart, the ratio for fresh coffee was 38%; while for instant coffee it was 54% and for cafe it was 63%.
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 covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons across the five cities. You have successfully extracted data for fresh coffee, instant coffee, and cafe visits. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; for instance, you state that most people prefer coffee/tea in a cafe, but the data shows that in several cities, instant coffee consumption is actually higher than cafe visits. To reach a higher band, ensure your summary accurately reflects the trends shown in the data rather than making generalisations that contradict the figures provided. The inclusion of specific data points is good, but ensure the comparisons are more analytical.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Turning to the details', 'Similarly', and 'Moving further' to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear. For example, in the second paragraph, you mention 'three categories' but the data labels in the prompt are 'Fresh coffee', 'Instant coffee', and 'Cafe'. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'proportion', and 'respectively'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'most of population' (missing 'the') and 'prefers to had a coffee' (incorrect verb form). You rely on fairly simple descriptive language. To improve, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'surpassed', 'accounted for', or 'fluctuated', and pay closer attention to articles and verb forms to ensure your lexical choices are more natural and accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('most of population', 'in a cafe') and verb tense/agreement ('prefers to had a coffee'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, such as the unnecessary capitalization of 'The' in the middle of a sentence in the final paragraph. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage to improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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