Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-23

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 compares the results of a survey about people’s coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five Australian cities.

Overall, it is clear that most people went to cafés for coffee or tea in all cities. However, fewer people only bought fresh coffee in last 4 weeks.

With reference to the bar chart, it is evident that in Brisbane and Adelaide bought the same amount of fresh coffee in last 4 weeks which is upto 35%, while comparing the amount of instant coffee they bought Brisbane is comparatively higher.

Furthermore, Melbourne’s people went to cafés the most comparing to all other cities which is above 60%. Eventhough, Hobart is almost close to the Melbourne’s city residents.

In Sydney, around 45% of people bought instant coffee and people who consumed fresh and instant coffees is between 40 to 50%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to cover the main features of the chart comparing coffee and tea habits across five Australian cities. However, the word count is 141 words, which falls short of the 150-word minimum, resulting in a penalty under Task Achievement. While the student provides an overview and selects some data points (e.g., Melbourne's café visits and Brisbane's instant coffee), the reporting lacks precision and completeness. For instance, the statement that 'Melbourne's people went to cafés the most comparing to all other cities' is factually incorrect according to the chart, as Sydney was actually 61% and Hobart 63%, while Melbourne was 63.5% (making Melbourne the highest, but Hobart is virtually identical, and the phrasing is somewhat vague). Key data comparisons are missed, and some figures are described loosely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text is divided into sensible paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, an overall statement, and body paragraphs detailing specific cities. Cohesive devices are attempted (e.g., 'Overall', 'With reference to', 'Furthermore'), but their use is sometimes mechanical or awkward, such as 'With reference to the bar chart, it is evident that in Brisbane and Adelaide bought...' where grammatical confusion affects flow. Paragraphing is present, but overall progression within paragraphs is somewhat disjointed due to grammatical errors and clunky transitions between cities.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary relevant to the topic, such as 'survey', 'residents', 'cafés', 'fresh coffee', and 'instant coffee'. However, there are noticeable lexical and collocation errors throughout the text, such as 'people who consumed fresh and instant coffees' (the chart shows buying habits, not consumption) and awkward phrasing like 'amount of fresh coffee... which is upto 35%'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success, and word choices occasionally restrict clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though attempts at complex structures frequently contain errors. Examples include 'in Brisbane and Adelaide bought the same amount' (missing subject/agent) and 'comparing to all other cities' (incorrect participle form). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical inaccuracies—such as missing prepositions, incorrect verb forms ('Eventhough, Hobart is almost close to...'), and faulty relative clauses—frequently occur and occasionally strain the reader's comprehension.

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