Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-25
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 demonstrates about the survey of people buying and drinking habits of coffee or tea in five different Australian cities since last 4 weeks.
Overall, residents of Melbourne and Hobart are mostly go to a cafe for coffee or tea. Hobart have one more prominent feature by having high purchase of instant coffee, and 44% of Sydney residents buy fresh coffee in Australia.
There is almost 64% visiting residents of Melbourne and Hobart city while, 54% people of Brisbane and Hobart are buying more instant coffee. Sydney and Melbourne 44% residents are purchasing fresh coffee in last 4 weeks.
In contrast, Adelaide have almost same trend of visiting cafe and buying instant coffee as compared to other cities, while 34% of Brisbane and Adelaide residents have bought fresh coffee.
Thus, these are the prominent trends followed by the Australian residents, and 62% residents of Sydney also have more visiting to cafe for coffee or tea in last 4 weeks.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by identifying some key features, such as the popularity of cafes in Melbourne and Hobart and the purchase of fresh coffee in Sydney. However, the report lacks a clear, analytical overview. The data presentation is often confusing, with figures being grouped in a way that makes it difficult to verify the trends against the chart. For instance, stating that '54% people of Brisbane and Hobart are buying more instant coffee' is unclear as it conflates two distinct cities. To reach a higher band, you must ensure that data points are clearly linked to the correct categories and cities, and provide a more cohesive summary of the main trends rather than just listing percentages.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow of ideas is frequently interrupted by confusing sentence structures and unclear referencing. While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall' and 'In contrast', they are sometimes used mechanically or incorrectly, which hinders the logical progression of the report. The relationship between the cities and the specific habits is often muddled, making it hard for the reader to follow the comparison. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence clearly refers to the correct data point will significantly improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite repetitive and limited. Phrases like 'buying and drinking habits' and 'prominent feature' are used, but there is a lack of variety in reporting verbs and comparative language. Some word choices are awkward, such as 'mostly go to a cafe' instead of 'frequent cafes'. To improve, you should incorporate a wider range of synonyms for 'increase', 'decrease', 'high', and 'low', and focus on using more precise collocations related to data reporting, such as 'a significant proportion' or 'the most popular choice'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('Hobart have', 'Adelaide have'), incorrect preposition usage ('in last 4 weeks'), and awkward phrasing ('more visiting to cafe'). The sentence structures are relatively simple, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions. Additionally, try to vary your sentence structures by using more complex clauses, but ensure they are grammatically sound before using them in your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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