Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-28
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 below illustrate the results of a survey about people's buying and drinking coffee and tea habits in five cities in Australia.
Overall, this survey indicates the percentage of city residents buying and drinking tea and coffee in five cities Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart in Australia.
The percentage of went to cafe or tea has the highest figure throughout the cities. Almost 61% people in Sydney went to a cafe for coffee or tea in last four weeks. Aproximately 44% and 46% people drank fresh coffee and instant coffee respectively. These percentages look almost same in Melbourne. In Brisbane, only 34 % people bought fresh coffee and 53% people bought instant coffee. 56% people went to cafe for coffee or tea. Adelaide had almost the same percentages like Brisbane. 63% people went to cafe for coffe and tea.
In conclusion, went to cafe for coffee and tea was the highest figure in all the cities in Austrlia. Fresh cooffee was at the least number.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response covers all the main parts of the task by reporting data across the five cities and the three categories (fresh coffee, instant coffee, and café visits). However, there are several noticeable data inaccuracies and misreadings compared to the source chart. For example, the student states that 'Approximately 44% and 46% people drank fresh coffee and instant coffee respectively' in Sydney, whereas instant coffee was 45.5% and fresh coffee was 44%. Furthermore, the description of Adelaide is incomplete ('Adelaide had almost the same percentages like Brisbane'), and there is some repetition in the overview and conclusion. While an overview is present, the reporting lacks precision in places and fails to fully synthesise the key comparisons between categories.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is arranged into distinct paragraphs, including an introduction, body, and conclusion. However, the logical progression is weak. The second paragraph essentially restates the prompt rather than providing a clear overview of main trends. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes awkward, such as starting multiple sentences in a repetitive manner. Referencing is also problematic in places, as seen in phrases like 'The percentage of went to cafe or tea has the highest figure', which uses ungrammatical noun phrases to refer to data categories. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion requires better transitional markers and clearer signposting.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, relying heavily on direct lifts from the prompt and simple terms like 'percentage', 'people', 'city', and 'figure'. There are noticeable word-category errors and awkward collocations, such as 'percentage of went to cafe or tea' and 'coffee and tea buying and drinking habits' being clumsily phrased. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are limited, and spelling slips occur, such as 'Aproximately', 'coffe', and 'Austrlia'. The lexical range is adequate only for the most basic communication of the data points.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response features a very limited range of sentence structures, consisting mostly of simple and occasionally flawed complex or compound sentences. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly involving verb forms and clause structures, such as 'The bar chart below illustrate' (subject-verb agreement), 'The percentage of went to cafe' (ungrammatical relative or noun clause), and 'Adelaide had almost the same percentages like Brisbane' (incorrect preposition use). Punctuation is basic. These errors occasionally cause strain for the reader, keeping the grammar score at the lower end of Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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