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)
The bar chart illustrates the results of survey which was conducted in Australian cities, abut purchasing coffee and tea.
Overall, the number of residents who went to a coffee shop for coffee or tea were among the dominance in cities like Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart, along with buying instant coffee were their second priority in last four weeks. Brisbane on the other hand was second consumer of instant coffee in the four week period.
The population who were the prevalent buyer of going in a cafe and having tea or coffee in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart were on surge by 60%, 64% where two cities shared the same number. Additionally, customers of instant coffee in Hobart and Brisbane experienced approximately 54%, 53% in last 4 week period compared with Adelaide which had similar pattern in consumers of instant coffee and people who went in cafe were 50%.
Furthermore, purchasers of fresh were limited in Australian cities the least response was shared by the people of Brisbane and Adelaide which had 34% of buyers in four week period.
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 the main features of the chart, such as the popularity of cafes in Melbourne, Sydney, and Hobart, and the consumption of instant coffee in Brisbane and Hobart. However, the reporting of data is often confusing and inaccurate. For instance, stating that Sydney, Melbourne, and Hobart were 'on surge by 60%, 64%' is unclear and does not accurately reflect the data points provided in the chart. The comparison between cities is sometimes muddled, making it difficult for the reader to follow the trends. To improve, ensure that data is presented clearly and that comparisons are logically structured rather than just listing percentages without context.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow of ideas is frequently interrupted by awkward phrasing and unclear referencing. While some cohesive devices like 'Overall' and 'Furthermore' are used, the internal logic within sentences is often strained. For example, the transition between discussing cafe habits and instant coffee consumption is abrupt. The referencing is sometimes ambiguous, such as 'which had similar pattern in consumers', which makes it hard to identify exactly which data is being compared. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence clearly connects to the previous one would significantly enhance the coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of unnatural word choice and collocation errors. Phrases like 'were among the dominance' and 'prevalent buyer of going in a cafe' are non-standard and impede the clarity of the message. The term 'purchasers of fresh' is also incomplete and lacks precision. While the student attempts to use a variety of terms, the lack of control over collocations limits the score. Focusing on learning common collocations related to data description, such as 'a significant proportion' or 'the most popular choice', would be beneficial.
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 affect readability. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the number of residents... were'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward sentence construction (e.g., 'along with buying instant coffee were their second priority'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure often feels forced or incomplete. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on reducing basic errors in subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with greater grammatical precision.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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