Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-19
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 given horizontal column graph depicts the results of a survey about people's coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five Australian cities. The data has been calibrated into percentile.
Overall, it is crystal clear that the highest value recorded by people went to cafe for drinking coffee and tea was in Hobart however the lowest ratio of masses was in Adelaide in the given period of time.
At a glance, in Sydney the highest proportion residents bought fresh coffee in last 4 weeks which was around 61% which followed by instant coffee in last 4 weeks were 45%. People went to a cafe for coffee or tea was 44% of residents. In both Melbourne and Brisbane the percentage in buying fresh coffee did not surpass by 42% while in Melbourne 47% of city residents purchase instant coffee which gradually incline to 53% in Brisbane. People went to cafe in Melbourne was 62% approximately which surprisingly jump down to 55% in Brisbane.
Moving further, in Adelaide the ratio in both bought instant coffee and went to cafe for coffee or tea was almost similar around 50 percent. While only 34% of city residents buy fresh coffee in last 4 weeks. Lastly, in Hobart 36% of masses went to cafe for coffee or tea and 54% were in fresh coffee in last 4 weeks.
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 all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons. You have successfully highlighted key data points across the five cities. However, the overview is slightly confusing; you mention Hobart as having the highest value for cafe visits, but the data indicates Melbourne has the highest percentage (62%). Additionally, the term 'masses' is not appropriate for describing survey respondents. To improve, ensure your overview accurately reflects the data trends and avoid over-generalising or misinterpreting the figures. The report is well-structured, but precision in data interpretation is essential for a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific cities. You use some cohesive devices such as 'At a glance', 'Moving further', and 'Lastly' to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'the percentage in buying fresh coffee did not surpass by 42%'). To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your pronouns and references clearly point back to the specific data categories mentioned earlier.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'calibrated', 'proportion', and 'residents'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'ratio of masses', 'gradually incline to', and 'jump down to'. These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the precision of your report. To reach a higher band, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology for describing statistical trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', or 'remained stable'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the highest value recorded by people went to cafe' (should be 'people who went to a cafe') and 'did not surpass by 42%' (should be 'did not exceed 42%'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and verb tense consistency. While these errors rarely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed accurately.
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.