Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-26

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 table depicts the outcomes of a questionare of how often people buy and drink a different types of coffee in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Hobart of Australia.

The first option is bought fresh coffee in last 4 weeks. In Sydney has 43.7 per cent of city residents and has almost the same amount as Melbourne which is 42.2 per cent. Brisbane and Adelaide have a nearly same amount, 34.2 per cent and 34.4 per cent. Next, Hobart has 38.3 per cent.

The second line is bought instant coffee in last 4 weeks. Brisbane has 52.6 per cent. Other two cities that have amost the same number are Adelaide, 49.8 per cent, and Melbourne, 48.3 per cent. The lowest number is 45.5 per cent of Sydney and The highest number is 54.1 per cent of Hobart.

The last option of the survey shows the percentage of city residents that went to a cafe' for coffee or tea in last 4 weeks. In Sydney, people went to a cafe' for coffee or tea in last 4 weeks 61 per cent of city residents. In Brisbane, citizens went to a cafe' for coffee of tea in last 4 weeks 55.4 per cent. The lowest is Adelaide that shows 49.9 per cent of city residents. In Hobart, people went to a cafe' for coffee of tea in last 4 weeks 62.7 per cent. The highest is Melbourne that shows 63.3 per cent.

In conclusion, the highest number of the survey is the percentage of city residents that went to a cafe for coffee or tea in last 4 weeks because it shows almost the highest percentage in 3 types.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the three categories and comparing the five cities. However, the report is largely a list of data points rather than a synthesis of main features. While you mention the highest and lowest figures, you do not effectively group the data or highlight significant trends or contrasts beyond simple numerical comparisons. The conclusion is also weak, as it merely restates one of the figures rather than providing a meaningful summary of the overall data patterns. To improve, focus on grouping cities with similar trends and identifying the most striking differences or similarities across the categories.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is mechanical and repetitive. You rely heavily on listing figures city by city (e.g., 'In Sydney...', 'In Brisbane...', 'In Hobart...'), which makes the writing feel like a list rather than a cohesive report. There is a lack of varied cohesive devices to link sentences and ideas smoothly. While the paragraphing is logical, the internal flow within paragraphs is quite basic and lacks the sophisticated referencing required for a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You use repetitive phrasing such as 'the highest number is' and 'the lowest number is' throughout the text. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'questionare' (spelling) and 'a different types of coffee' (article usage). To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use a wider range of synonyms for 'percentage', 'number', and 'residents', and incorporate more precise reporting verbs or comparative language to describe the data trends.

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 the flow. Common issues include missing articles ('In Sydney has...'), incorrect preposition usage ('in last 4 weeks' instead of 'in the last 4 weeks'), and subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'Brisbane and Adelaide have a nearly same amount'). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for articles and prepositions will significantly 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.