Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-15
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 chart compares the percentage of residents in buying and drinking coffee and tea in five Australian cites
Overall , popular choice was in Melbourne who brought fresh coffee in last four weeks and least common choice was witnessed in Brisbane with not even 35% people brought fresh coffee in last four weeks .Starting with people who brought fresh coffee in last four weeks less than 50% people liked in Adelaide while a little more than that in Brisbane . More than 60% in Hobart , a little less than that in Sydney and approximately more than 62% in Melbourne. Next we have those who bought instant coffee in last four weeks .45% in Sydney , more than that in Melbourne .Little less than 55%in Brisbane and 5% less then that in Adelaide and approximately 1% less than 55% in Hobart . The last thing we have is those who went to cafe for coffee or tea in last four weeks Brisbane ,Adelaide and Hobart being the least with not even 40% people prefered . Sydney little less than 45% and Melbourne a it less than Sydney .
Taking everything into account Melbourne was the highest who brought fresh coffee in last four weeks , Sydney the least who brought instant coffee and Adelaide the les who went to coffee or tea .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all three categories (fresh coffee, instant coffee, and cafe visits) across the five cities. However, the reporting of data is often imprecise and lacks clear comparative analysis. For instance, phrases like 'a little more than that' or 'approximately 1% less than 55%' are vague and do not effectively communicate the specific data points shown in the chart. While the main features are identified, the lack of accurate data reporting and the absence of a clear, analytical overview prevent this from reaching a higher band. The summary at the end is repetitive rather than synthesizing the information.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'in last four weeks'. The progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed, particularly in the second paragraph where data points are listed in a way that makes it difficult for the reader to follow the comparisons. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks logical flow, making the overall organization feel somewhat disjointed.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'popular choice was in Melbourne who brought' (referring to a city as a person) and 'not even 35% people brought'. The range of vocabulary is limited to the specific terms provided in the prompt, with little attempt to use synonyms or more sophisticated descriptive language. Spelling errors, such as 'cites' instead of 'cities' and 'prefered' instead of 'preferred', also detract from the overall quality.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tense and subject-verb agreement, such as 'people who brought fresh coffee... liked in Adelaide' and 'Melbourne was the highest who brought'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with spaces missing before commas and periods. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of grammatical slips and the lack of complex sentence structures limit the score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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