Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-17
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 servey was taken from people who purchase fresh coffee, instant coffee and went outside for hot drinks in five various cities in Australia in past 4 weeks.
Overall, the notable point was people who went outside for tea and coffee was the majority in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart as compared with fresh and instant coffee drinkers. Only in Adelaide individuals prefer instant coffee more.
In Sydney and Melbourne public drink more than 60% prefer to going out for coffee and tea. However, people drink fresh and instant coffee above than 40%. Brisban, people has similary preference for instant and cafe coffee nearly 52% and 53%.
Therefore, 50% of people from Adelaide bought coffee instant 50% and rest both of them was lower then 40%. Although, Hobart city residents also popular to go outside more than 60%, while almost 53% and under 40% prefer instant and fresh coffee.
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 the main features of the data, such as the general preference for going out for coffee/tea in most cities and the exception in Adelaide. However, the reporting of data is inconsistent and sometimes inaccurate. For example, the statement that 'public drink more than 60% prefer to going out' is grammatically awkward and lacks precision. The comparison between cities is present but lacks a clear, analytical structure. Some data points are mentioned without sufficient context, and the summary of the 'instant coffee' category in Adelaide is confusingly phrased. To reach a higher band, you should ensure that all data points are clearly linked to the specific cities and categories provided in the chart.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For instance, the transition 'Therefore' at the start of the fourth paragraph is logically inappropriate as it does not follow from the previous point. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'rest both of them was lower then 40%', which makes it difficult to track which categories are being discussed. While there is an overall progression, the lack of smooth transitions and occasional misuse of linking words hinders the flow of information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'people', 'drink', and 'prefer'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'servey was taken from people' instead of 'survey of people's habits', and 'bought coffee instant' instead of 'purchased instant coffee'. Some phrasing is unnatural, such as 'residents also popular to go outside'. To improve, you should focus on using more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'proportion', 'consumption', and 'trend', and ensure that your collocations are accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('people has similary preference'), incorrect preposition usage ('above than 40%'), and awkward sentence construction ('people who went outside for tea and coffee was the majority'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure often feels disjointed. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with correct grammatical markers.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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