Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-28
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 outcomes of a survey regarding individual's coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five Australian regions.
Overall, the proportion of people in Melbourne and in Brisbane accounted higher for coffee or tea. However, the ratio of fresh coffee was considerably lower than other items. The percentage of coffee or tea was extremely high in all states.
In detail, the percentage of buyers was similar in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart which lies between 60% and 65%. The percentage of instant coffee customers was just below than 55% in Brisbane and Hobart. Furthermore, its percentage accounted same in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide which fall between 45% and 50%. Although, the proportion of fresh bought coffee citizens was extremely lower in Brisbane and Adelaide just below than 35%. Nevertheless, its percentage fall between 40% and 45% in Sydney and Melbourne and it was approximately 40% in Hobart. The percentage of coffee or tea customers accounted to extremely higher than other drinks.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response provides a general overview and identifies some key features, such as the high proportion of coffee/tea drinkers across all cities. However, the report lacks precision in data reporting. For instance, stating that percentages 'lie between 60% and 65%' or 'fall between 45% and 50%' is vague when the chart provides specific data points. Furthermore, the comparison between cities is underdeveloped, and the description of the data is somewhat repetitive. To achieve a higher band, you should select the most significant data points and present them with greater accuracy, ensuring that comparisons are clearly linked to the specific cities mentioned.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph. While there is a logical progression, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally misused. For example, the use of 'Although' at the start of a sentence followed by a clause without a main clause completion ('Although, the proportion... was extremely lower... just below than 35%') disrupts the flow. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparisons between the five cities. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'accounted higher for coffee or tea' and 'fresh bought coffee citizens'. The term 'accounted' is used repeatedly and incorrectly in this context. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations related to data description, such as 'accounted for a significant proportion' or 'the figure for fresh coffee was notably lower'. Expanding your range of reporting verbs and nouns will help convey information more effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include incorrect preposition usage ('below than 55%'), subject-verb agreement errors ('its percentage fall'), and awkward sentence construction. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy, particularly with comparative structures and verb tenses, will significantly improve the quality of your writing.
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.