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 chart compares people's drinking habits in five Australian cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart. The chart shows interest of the people in coffee and tea.
Overall, Melbourne and Hobart city had the highest percentage of people went to cafe for coffee and tea in last four weeks. However, Adelaide's residents took least interest in beverages.
Starting with Sydney, almost 60% of citizens went to coffee shop from which 44% bought fresh coffee and 45% bought instant coffee. Secondly, the largest proportion of coffee and tea consumption were in Melbourne and Hobart. Whereas, instant coffee was most popular in Hobart. Brisbane also preferred instant coffee to fresh coffee and 55% of people went to cafe over the last four week. In Adelaide, coffee and tea were consumed least with 50% during 4 weeks. It can be seen that fresh coffee was least popular in nearly all cities.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the chart, identifying the cities with the highest and lowest consumption. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention specific percentages, the comparisons between the three categories (fresh coffee, instant coffee, and cafe visits) are not fully developed. For instance, you mention that fresh coffee was the least popular, but you do not provide enough comparative detail to support this across all five cities. To reach a higher band, ensure that you not only report the data but also synthesize the information by grouping cities or trends more effectively to provide a clearer overview of the data relationships.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'Starting with', 'Secondly', and 'Whereas' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel forced. The referencing is sometimes unclear; for example, in the sentence 'the largest proportion of coffee and tea consumption were in Melbourne and Hobart', it is not immediately clear if you are referring to cafe visits or total consumption. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clear pronoun reference would enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'consumption', and 'beverages'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'took least interest in' is not the most natural way to describe data trends; 'recorded the lowest levels of consumption' would be more precise. Additionally, there is some repetition of basic verbs. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'predominant', or 'marginal', to add sophistication to your analysis.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'people went to cafe' (missing an article: 'a cafe') and 'last four week' (should be plural: 'weeks'). The sentence 'the largest proportion of coffee and tea consumption were in Melbourne and Hobart' contains a subject-verb agreement error ('was' should be used for 'proportion'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on article usage and subject-verb agreement will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.