Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-06

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 line bar illustrates the percentage of residents buying coffee and tea in five cities of Australia.

Overall, it is clear that tea was the highest consumed in major cities, while instant coffee in second place. Fresh coffee was lowest.

In Sydney, Melbourne and Hobert tea stood above 60%. Brisbane accounted for over 55% consumption, and compared to Adelaide just below 50%. In contrast, instant coffee represented nearly around 55% in Hobert, 53% in Brisbane. In Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide figures approximately 46%, 48% and 50%.

However, fresh coffee below 35% in Brisbane and Adelaide. The percentage in Sydney and Melbourne around 44% and 42%. Hobert just nearly 40% of instant coffee cons

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement. While you have identified some main features, the analysis is incomplete and ends abruptly mid-sentence. You have attempted to report on the three categories (tea, instant coffee, and fresh coffee) across the five cities, but the lack of development and the unfinished nature of the report mean that the task is only partially addressed. To improve, ensure you provide a complete overview, include all relevant data points without omitting information, and write a full concluding summary that meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response shows some logical organization by grouping information by category. However, the progression is hindered by the incomplete nature of the text. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', and 'However', but they are somewhat mechanical. Paragraphing is present, but the final paragraph is fragmented due to the unfinished sentence. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly and ensure that each paragraph is fully developed with complete sentences that clearly relate to the main topic.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'percentage', 'residents', 'consumption', and 'represented'. However, the range is limited and there are some inaccuracies, such as 'line bar' (the chart is a bar chart) and 'Hobert' (likely a misspelling of Hobart). The repetition of 'in' and 'of' suggests a limited ability to vary sentence structure and vocabulary. To improve, try to use more precise synonyms for 'represented' or 'accounted for' and ensure accurate spelling of proper nouns and technical terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For example, 'tea was the highest consumed' should be 'tea was the most consumed', and 'figures approximately 46%' lacks a verb. There are also issues with missing articles and prepositions. The sentence structure is often repetitive, relying on simple subject-verb-object patterns. To improve, focus on ensuring every sentence has a clear subject and verb, and practice using more complex structures like relative clauses or passive voice correctly to enhance the sophistication of your writing.

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

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