Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-10

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)

Australia has some of the highest coffee consumption in the world. Generally, Australians have 3 choices for their caffeinated drinks; that is fresh coffee, instant coffee or going to a cafe. This chart shows Australian's preferred ways to have their drink in the past 4 weeks in the following cities which are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart.

A good majority prefer going to a cafe because its convenient. Most places provide a cozy place to sit and relax, astheticaly pleasing design and free wifi so that you can get your work done. Its also a place people come with their friends to hangout and have fun. These places also give you unique choices of drinks of which most of it is difficult to replicate at home even if you have the correct recepie.

The later majority prefers instant coffee. An instant coffee only requires mixing the ingredients in a cup or glass of water to make coffee in an instant. People who don't have the equipment such as a coffee maker, coffee beans grinder and also those who are traveling use instant coffee.

The minority, less than 45% prefers fresh coffee. This coffee in the graph is reffered to as coffee beans from a specialty coffee roaster. Coffee enthusiasts swear by them. You need special equipment to make them and have to buy them freshly roasted. Freshly roasted beans have their unique flavours and rich aroma.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the three categories and names all five cities, but it does not adequately summarise the chart’s main features. Instead, most of the response explains why people might choose cafés, instant coffee, or fresh coffee; these reasons are not shown in the data. The claim that cafés are preferred is broadly supported, but the statement that fresh coffee is the minority choice “less than 45%” overlooks that instant coffee is also lower than café visits in every city, and it gives no city-by-city comparisons. There is also no clear overview of the key pattern: café visits lead in four cities, while instant coffee is highest in Adelaide. Focus on reporting these comparisons and use selected figures, rather than adding unsupported explanations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is divided into clear paragraphs, and the sequence from cafés to instant coffee and then fresh coffee gives the reader a basic structure. Phrases such as “The later majority” and “The minority” attempt to connect the sections, although the references are not fully clear and the categories are not consistently compared. The introduction also leads into general commentary rather than a chart-focused overview, so progression away from the task weakens the overall organisation. To improve, use an overview paragraph after the introduction, then organise the details by city or by the highest and lowest results. Use linking expressions to show actual contrasts in the figures, such as café visits being higher than fresh-coffee purchases in each city.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of vocabulary, including “convenient,” “equipment,” “freshly roasted,” and “unique flavours,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, much of this vocabulary describes imagined reasons and qualities rather than the chart’s data, limiting its usefulness for this task. Some choices are imprecise or informal: “3 choices” and “hangout and have fun” are less suitable for an academic summary, while “the later majority” is unclear. Spelling errors such as “astheticaly,” “recepie,” and “reffered” also show inconsistent control. Aim for precise chart language, for example “proportion,” “highest,” “lowest,” and “exceeded,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the relative clause in “drinks of which most of it is difficult to replicate” and the conditional phrase “even if you have the correct recepie.” Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions are present. For example, “Australians have 3 choices” is an overgeneralised statement, and “This chart shows Australian's preferred ways” has an incorrect possessive form; “its convenient” and “Its also” need apostrophes for “it’s.” The sentence about drinks also has unclear agreement and reference. Improve accuracy by using direct, controlled sentences to describe what percentages of residents did, and proofread apostrophes, agreement, and sentence structure.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.