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)
In Sydney 43% people bought fresh coffee in last 4 weeks and on other hand 45% bought instant coffee in last 4 weeks, Highest percentage in Sydney is of people went to a cafe for coffee or tea in last 4 weeks and percentage is on 61% as shown in chart. In Melbourne, People who visited to a cafe for coffee or tea in just last 4 weeks are very close to 65% and public who bought instant coffee in last 28 days are 48%, Fresh coffee is 42% only in melbourne.
Brisbane and Adelaide is matching there percentage of residents who bought fresh coffee in last 4 weeks on 34% and Brisbane is on 52% and adelaide is only 2% lesser from brisbane's residents who bought instant coffee in last month. 55% of the people in Brisbane and 49% in Adelaide is the real percentage as shown in graph for people who went to cafe for coffee or tea in past 28 days. Hobard city is on 37% for fresh coffee bought in past month , instant coffee bought in past 28 days percentage of people is on 54% and in last people who went to a cafe for tea or coffee is matching their percentage with melbourne.
Overall, Melbourne city and Hobart city have maximum percentage of people in last 28 days who loves to buy tea and have drinking habits and least population is of people who bought fresh coffee in these past days
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all parts of the task by reporting data for all five cities and three categories. However, the presentation of data is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While the main features are identified, the comparison between cities is often repetitive and lacks synthesis. For instance, the description of Hobart and Melbourne is disjointed. To reach a higher band, you should group the data more logically—perhaps by category rather than city—and ensure the overview highlights the most significant trends rather than just listing figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is often clunky. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive (e.g., 'in last 4 weeks' is used repeatedly). There is a lack of variety in linking words, which makes the progression of ideas feel mechanical. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as when you mention 'matching their percentage with melbourne' without explicitly stating which category is being compared. Improving the use of transition signals and pronouns would help the text flow more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. You rely heavily on basic phrasing like 'percentage is on' or 'bought in last 4 weeks'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'public who bought' (referring to residents) and 'matching there percentage' (incorrect use of 'there' instead of 'their'). To improve, try to use a wider range of synonyms for 'percentage' (e.g., 'proportion', 'figure') and vary your verbs to describe trends more dynamically.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include missing articles (e.g., 'In Sydney 43% people'), incorrect preposition usage ('visited to a cafe'), and subject-verb agreement errors ('55% of the people... is the real percentage'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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