Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-22

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 illustrates the survey's outcomes regarding the coffee and tea purchasing and consumption habits in the past four weeks across five Australian cities- namely Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart.

Overall, the majority of people preferred visiting a cafe. The highest proportion of people in Hobart and Sydney bought the most amount of instant coffee and fresh coffee respectively in the last four weeks. Similarly, Melbourne accounted for the largest percentage of people visiting cafes.

Regarding fresh coffee, around 44% of people in Sydney purchased it which was the highest figure followed by Melbourne at around 42%. About 34% to 38% of the people in remaining cities bought fresh coffee. In case of instant coffee, Hobart's population reported approximately 54% ,whereas, Sydney showed the lowest figure at around 46%.

In Melbourne,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the ability to fully develop the response. While you have identified some main features, the report is incomplete; it stops abruptly in the final paragraph, leaving the data for 'visiting a cafe' largely unaddressed. To achieve a higher band, you must ensure all parts of the prompt are covered and provide a complete summary. The current response is under-developed and lacks the necessary depth to fully report on the trends presented in the chart. You must complete the analysis to ensure all data points are adequately represented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response shows a basic attempt at logical organization, using an introduction and body paragraphs. However, the abrupt ending in the final paragraph disrupts the flow and coherence of the text. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Similarly' and 'Regarding', but the overall progression is hindered by the incomplete nature of the writing. To improve, ensure that each paragraph is fully developed and that ideas are linked smoothly throughout the entire report. The paragraphing is currently insufficient due to the unfinished state of the final section.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the main points, using terms like 'purchasing', 'consumption', and 'proportion'. There is an attempt to use specific terminology related to the data. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor issues with phrasing, such as 'bought the most amount of instant coffee'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied and precise vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'the highest percentage was recorded in...' or 'a significant majority preferred...'. The current vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there are some accurate sentences, there are also minor errors in punctuation and phrasing, such as the hyphenation in 'five Australian cities- namely' and the awkward structure 'bought the most amount of'. The grammar is generally clear and does not impede communication, but the range of structures is limited. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of complex sentence forms and ensure consistent accuracy in punctuation and preposition usage. The unfinished nature of the text also limits the demonstration of grammatical range.

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.