Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-04
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 information about individuals purchasing tea and coffee and their drinking habits in multiple cities in Australia. The five cities are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart.
Overall, going to a cafe for coffee and tea accounted for the highest proportion among the categories, whereas fresh coffee accounted for the lowest proportion in the graph.
Initially, the residents going to a cafe for coffee and tea from cafe in last 4 weeks were above 60% people except Brisbane, which was around 55% and Adelaide where the figure was less than 50%. Moreover, the number of residents in Brisbane and Hobart who purchased instant coffee in last 4 weeks was above 50% and Adelaide residents consumed coffee was 50% and rest were less than 50%. Finally, the consumption of fresh coffee in the last 4 weeks in Brisbane and Adelaide were same at around 34% and Sydney and Melbourne both were above 40% and Hobart was less than 40%.
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 data, including the overall trends and specific city comparisons. However, the reporting is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical focus. While you identify the highest and lowest categories, the description of the data points is occasionally confusing, such as the phrase 'Adelaide residents consumed coffee was 50%'. The comparison between cities is present, but the data could be grouped more effectively to highlight the differences between the five locations. To improve, ensure that the data is presented with greater precision and that the relationships between the categories are clearly explained rather than just listed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs, which provides a logical structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and mechanical. For example, the transition 'Initially' is not the most appropriate choice for describing static data in a chart. Furthermore, the progression of ideas within the paragraphs feels a bit disjointed, as the sentences jump between cities and categories without smooth transitions. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the flow of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You rely on repetitive phrasing such as 'accounted for the highest proportion' and 'in last 4 weeks'. There is an attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, but it is limited. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate a wider range of synonyms and more precise collocations. For instance, instead of repeating 'proportion', you could use 'percentage', 'figure', or 'share'. Additionally, ensure that your word choices are accurate in context to avoid awkward phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. For example, 'the residents going to a cafe... were above 60% people' is grammatically awkward, and 'Adelaide residents consumed coffee was 50%' is missing a verb or preposition to make it a complete, correct clause. There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your sentences are grammatically complete will help improve your score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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