Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-13

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 depicts the percentage of city residents in five different cities in Australia regarding their drinking habits, purchasing of coffee and tea within the span of last 4 weeks.

Overall the picture clearly shows that Melbourne has highest ranking in terms of people visiting a cafe, whereas Brisban has lowest ranking with fresh coffee purchase.

Melbourne has highest proportion with 65% where individuals prefer visit to a cafe for coffee or tea. The second highest is Hobart with over 60% following Sydney with 60%. In contrast Brisban and Adelaide prefered least to visit cafe with 58% and 39% respectively.

When it comes to purchasing an instant coffee Hobart has highest percentage at around 56% following closely with Brisban having 54%. The least cities with purchasing an instant coffee is Syndey and Melbourne with their proportion under 50%.

On the other hand Brisban and Adelaide shows least proportion of under 40% in regards to people buying fresh coffee, while Syndey being the highest with 45%. It is clearly evident people prefered visiting cafe to purchasing instant or fesh coffee though buying an instant coffee being the second highest.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main categories and make a useful overall comparison: café visits are generally the most popular activity, while fresh coffee purchases are relatively low in Brisbane and Adelaide. However, several figures and rankings are inaccurate, which weakens the report’s coverage of the data. For example, Melbourne’s café figure is about 63.5%, not 65%, and Sydney is about 61%, rather than 60%; more importantly, Adelaide’s café figure is about 49.5%, not 39%, so it is not among the two lowest. Brisbane’s instant-coffee figure is about 53%, not 54%. The overview also incorrectly calls Melbourne the highest for café visits, when Hobart is marginally highest. Report the key comparisons accurately and distinguish close results from clear differences.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs covering café visits and coffee purchases. This makes the main categories easy to follow, and linking phrases such as “Overall,” “When it comes to,” and “On the other hand” help signal shifts. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. The café paragraph says “In contrast Brisban and Adelaide prefered least,” but the figures given do not support that comparison, and the final sentence repeats the overview rather than adding a precise concluding comparison. Grouping the cities by the highest and lowest values for each activity, and using clearer references to the figures, would create smoother progression and stronger cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “purchasing,” and “highest,” and the reader can generally understand the comparisons you intend. However, some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “highest ranking,” “prefer visit to a cafe,” and “least cities with purchasing.” Repetition of “highest,” “least,” and “proportion” also limits flexibility. There are noticeable spelling errors, including “Brisban,” “Syndey,” “prefered,” and “fesh,” which reduce accuracy and polish. Aim for standard chart-reporting collocations such as “accounted for,” “recorded,” and “the lowest proportion,” and check spelling carefully. More precise vocabulary would also help avoid implying that residents’ preferences were directly measured.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast introduced by “whereas” and a concluding sentence beginning “It is clearly evident.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “Melbourne has highest proportion” needs an article, while “Brisban and Adelaide shows” has a subject–verb agreement error. The construction “individuals prefer visit” needs an infinitive form, and “with 58% and 39% respectively” is attached to a comparison whose figures are inaccurate. There are also awkward sentence patterns in “The least cities with purchasing an instant coffee is…” and inconsistent use of past forms. Review articles, agreement, and verb patterns, then proofread punctuation and sentence boundaries.

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