Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-30

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 a survey on people's coffee and tea buying and drinking habits across five Australian cities, namely Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Hobart.

Overall, it is evident that the figures varied considerably across the categories, with some recording substantially higher figures, while another registered the lowest proportion. Hobart recorded the greatest proportion of people who went to a cafe for coffee or tea, whereas Sydney accounted for the lowest proportion of people who bought instant coffee in the last four weeks. Meanwhile, Brisbane and Adelaide both remained relatively similar in the last four weeks.

Looking at the details, in the last four weeks, Sydney and Melbourne's proportion of people who bought fresh coffee was both reported at approximately 41%. Afterwards, Brisbane and Adelaide both remained relatively the same at roughly 35% in the last 4 weeks. However, Hobart's proportion of people who bought fresh coffee constituted the second-highest figure in the last four weeks. Furthermore, Hobart's proportion of people bought instant coffee accounted for the highest figure at nearly 53% in the last 4 weeks, following which Sydney represented the lowest proportion at slightly below 41% in the last four weeks.

Looking most closely at the data, in the last 4 weeks, the proportion in Melbourne and Hobart of who people went to a cafe for coffee or tea both the greatest proportion at just over 62%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The candidate attempts to cover the main features of the chart, but there are several inaccuracies and vague statements in the reporting of the data. For instance, the text states that Sydney and Melbourne's fresh coffee figures were 'both reported at approximately 41%', whereas the chart shows Sydney at 44% and Melbourne at 42.5%. Furthermore, some statements contain confused details, such as claiming Hobart recorded the highest instant coffee figure when the text later confuses rankings. While an overview is attempted, it lacks precision. Because key data points are misreported and details are sometimes vague or incorrect, the response aligns best with Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by body paragraphs and an awkward concluding sentence fragment. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader (e.g., 'Overall', 'Looking at the details', 'Furthermore'), but referencing is occasionally unclear or clumsy, as seen in phrases like 'the proportion in Melbourne and Hobart of who people went to a cafe'. The logical progression is somewhat disrupted by repetitive phrasing ('in the last four weeks' is overused and often clunky) and the unfinished nature of the final paragraph. Overall, the organizational structure meets the criteria for Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting phrases such as 'proportion', 'considerably', and 'constituted'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and repetition. For example, the phrase 'in the last four weeks' is repeated excessively throughout the response. Awkward phrasing also appears, such as 'the proportion in Melbourne and Hobart of who people went to a cafe'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the limited control over less common vocabulary and repetitive structures keeps this criterion at a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The candidate uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical errors and awkward phrasing frequently appear. Examples include 'Sydney and Melbourne's proportion of people who bought fresh coffee was both reported' (agreement error) and the malformed sentence structure in the final paragraph: 'the proportion in Melbourne and Hobart of who people went to a cafe for coffee or tea both the greatest proportion'. While meaning can generally be parsed, these errors cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent the response from achieving a higher score. Grammatically, the response sits at Band 5.5.

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

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