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 bar chart illustrates the result of a survey about people's coffee and tea buying and drinking habit in five Australian cities Namely - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart.
Overall, among the five cities, went a cafe for coffee or tea in last 4 weeks recorded the highest proportion, whereas bought fresh coffee in last 4 weeks represented lowest percentage among the five cities.
Turning to the details, went to a cafe for coffee or tea in last 4 weeks recorded about 62% in Sydney city, after it which increased slightly at around 63% in Melbourne, after that Brisbane and Adelaide cities in decreased steadily at around 56% and 48%, respectively, then increased significantly about 63% in Hobart. Moreover, bought instant coffee in last 4 weeks registered for Sydney stood at approximately 46%, after it which increased moderately about 47% in Melbourne, 53% in Brisbane and after which it decreased slightly at 50% in Adelaide and finally it increased 54% in Hobart.
Turning to the remaining details, bought fresh coffee in last 4 weeks Sydney city represented about 44% and after it which decreased moderately around 44% in Melbourne city. In addition, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart recorded almost similar figures at 33%, 34% and 33%, respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons across the five cities. You successfully highlighted the highest and lowest categories in the overview. However, the reporting of data is somewhat mechanical, listing figures city by city rather than grouping them to highlight significant trends or contrasts more effectively. To reach a higher band, focus on synthesising the data—for example, noting that Hobart consistently showed high engagement across categories compared to the other cities. While the key features are present, the analysis lacks a more sophisticated level of comparison.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the overview to the specific details. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Turning to the details' and 'Moreover', but these are used somewhat repetitively. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly with phrases like 'after it which increased', which makes the flow feel mechanical rather than natural. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your transitions between sentences are smoother and less formulaic.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to describe the data clearly. You use terms like 'proportion', 'percentage', and 'registered', which are appropriate for a report. However, there is a lack of variety in your descriptive language; you rely heavily on 'increased' and 'decreased'. Furthermore, there are some awkward collocations and phrasing, such as 'registered for Sydney stood at' and 'represented lowest percentage'. Expanding your range of synonyms for trends (e.g., 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', 'peaked') would help demonstrate a more flexible command of the language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Issues include missing articles (e.g., 'represented lowest percentage'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward sentence construction, such as 'after it which increased slightly'. While the meaning remains clear, these errors are persistent. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of relative clauses. Increasing the frequency of error-free sentences will be key to moving into the 7.0 band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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