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 compares the number of individuals in five different cities who brought fresh or instant coffee or went to a cafe for coffee or tea in last 4 weeks. All the figures are provided in percentages.

Overall, people who prefered cafe for coffee topped the category in every city except Adelaide. Moreover, individuals who brought instant coffee outnumbered the residents who prefered fresh coffee in all five cities.

The most noticeable feature is that Melborne ranked first in having residents who prefered cafe for coffee or tea, at 64%, followed by Hobart and Sydney, whereas Adelaide ranked last in having same residents, at 49%. In addition, Hobart remain the first in having 54% of people who want instat coffee.

It is clear that every citiy has the lowest result in having people who prefer fresh coffee. Moreover, Sydney ranked first with 44% of residents, followed by

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart’s subject and give a broad overview, correctly noting that café visits are highest in most cities and that instant coffee purchases exceed fresh coffee purchases in all five. However, the comparison about café visits is inaccurate: Adelaide is the exception, where instant coffee (50%) is slightly higher than café visits (about 49.5%), not a case where café visits lead. You also say Melbourne ranks first for café visits, but Hobart is marginally higher (about 63.5% versus 63%). Several details are missing or unfinished, including the final comparison after “followed by,” and the response is two words below the required minimum. These omissions and misreadings leave the main features only partially reported and under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph with selected comparisons. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Moreover,” and “In addition” help signal relationships between points. However, progression is limited because the details are not organised into a complete comparison, and the final sentence stops after “followed by,” leaving the reader without the intended information. Some connections are also repetitive, with “Moreover” used for separate overview points, while “It is clear” introduces another claim without developing it. Grouping the figures more systematically—for example, café attendance first, then coffee purchases—would make the report easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “ranked first,” “category,” “figures,” and “residents,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited by repeated use of “people,” “residents,” and “having,” and some choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing survey results. “Prefered cafe” suggests a preference that the chart does not measure; it records whether people went to a café. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “Melborne,” “instat,” and “citiy,” which reduce precision. Aim for concise, accurate reporting language and vary verbs such as “accounted for,” “visited,” and “purchased” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce several understandable sentences and attempt longer structures, including “Moreover, individuals who brought instant coffee outnumbered the residents who prefered fresh coffee in all five cities.” However, control is uneven, and some sentence patterns are incomplete or awkward. The final sentence ends with “followed by” but supplies no comparison, so it is grammatically unfinished. Tense and verb-form choices also vary: “Hobart remain the first” should use a past form such as “ranked highest,” while “who brought” is not the appropriate form for a survey purchase. Articles and prepositions need attention in phrases such as “in having same residents” and “in last 4 weeks.” Practise complete, parallel comparison sentences.

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