Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-03

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)

This graph chart illustrates the results of a survey about people's coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five Australian cities.

Overall the people who went to cafe for coffee or tea in last 4 weeks are the highest in each city of the Australia without the Adelaide. Followed by the people who bought instant coffee in the last 4 weeks. People bought less fresh coffee in last 4 weeks in every city.

At a fleeting glance, the people who went to cafe for a coffee or a tea are the highest in Sydney at 61%, Melbourne at 64% and Brisbane at 56% but in Adelaide it decreases at 49% and again it incline to the 63% in Hobart. People who bought fresh coffee in last 4 weeks are at lowest in every city : 44% at Sydney, 43% at Melbourne, and it drops in Brisbane at 34% and similar in Adelaide, it grows in Hobart at 34%.

People who bought instant coffee in last 4 weeks are at the percentage of 45% and it slightly grow 2% in the Melbourne. In Brisbane it is little bit less from the people who went to cafe for coffee or a tea: at 53%. It go down in Adelaide at 50%. At last it jump the percentage at 54% in Hobart.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the data and provided relevant comparisons across the five cities. You covered all three categories (cafe, instant coffee, fresh coffee) and included data points for each. However, the report is slightly hindered by inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, you stated that fresh coffee consumption 'grows in Hobart at 34%', but the chart shows it is actually lower than in other cities. Additionally, the description of the trends is sometimes confusing, such as the claim that instant coffee 'slightly grow 2% in the Melbourne'. To reach a higher band, ensure that your data reporting is precise and that you clearly distinguish between the categories when making comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Overall', 'At a fleeting glance', and 'In Brisbane', to transition between ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some referencing is unclear. For example, the phrase 'at last it jump the percentage' is awkward and disrupts the logical progression. The use of cohesive devices could be more varied and sophisticated to better link the sentences within paragraphs. Improving the transition between the overview and the specific details would also enhance the overall coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the data, using terms like 'illustrates', 'survey', 'percentage', and 'decreases'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'it incline to the 63%' (should be 'it increases to 63%') and 'it jump the percentage' (should be 'the percentage jumps'). These errors occasionally make the text feel repetitive or unnatural. To improve, focus on using more precise verbs for describing trends, such as 'fluctuate', 'remain stable', or 'peak', and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'it slightly grow', 'it go down'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'without the Adelaide'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. To improve, pay closer attention to verb tenses and subject-verb agreement, and try to vary your sentence structure by using more complex clauses while ensuring they are grammatically accurate.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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