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 chat compares coffee and tea consumption habits of residents in five Australian cities over the past 4 weeks . The three categories measured are: buying fresh coffee, buying instant coffee, and visiting a cafe for coffee or tea.
Overall,going to a cafe was the most common activity in 4 out of 5 cities, while buying fresh coffee was the least popular in all cities.
In Sydney and Melbourne ,cafe visits were most popular at around 60% and 63% respectively,followed by instant coffee at 45%and 47%.Fresh coffee buying was lowest at 43% in Sydney and 41% in Melbourne.
Brisbane and Hobart showed a different pattern. Instant coffee was most popular there,at 52% and 48%.Fresh coffee remained the lowest at 34% in both cities Brisbane, Adelaide.
Hobart had the second highest cafe visits at 61%,and also the highest instant coffee buying at 53%. Fresh coffee buying was again lowest at 38%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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. You successfully highlight the main trends, such as the popularity of cafe visits in Sydney and Melbourne versus the preference for instant coffee in Brisbane and Hobart. However, the analysis is slightly hampered by some inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you mention Brisbane and Adelaide in the same breath, yet the prompt asks for five cities, and your data points for Hobart are slightly inconsistent with the provided chart. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are transcribed with absolute precision and that comparisons are consistently clear across all categories.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group the cities by their consumption patterns. You use some cohesive devices like 'while', 'followed by', and 'in contrast' to link ideas. However, the paragraphing is a bit disjointed, and the transition between the discussion of Sydney/Melbourne and the other cities could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow is occasionally interrupted by minor mechanical issues in punctuation and spacing, such as missing spaces after commas (e.g., 'Melbourne ,cafe', '52% and 48%.Fresh'). Improving the use of linking phrases would help the progression of ideas feel more natural.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'consumption habits', 'categories', and 'pattern'. The language is generally appropriate for an academic report. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, and there is a lack of more sophisticated or varied lexical items that would demonstrate a higher level of control. There are also minor errors in word choice and formatting, such as 'bar chat' instead of 'bar chart'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise verbs and adjectives to describe trends, such as 'predominate', 'marginal', or 'a significant proportion'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent minor errors in punctuation and spacing, such as missing spaces after periods and commas (e.g., '4 weeks .', '45%and 47%'). These errors are distracting but do not impede communication. You have attempted some complex structures, but the control is inconsistent. To achieve a higher band, focus on proofreading for basic punctuation and spacing conventions, and aim for more error-free sentences by ensuring subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage throughout the report.
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.