Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-04

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 5.0)

The bar chart illustrates statistics about the drinking habits in last 4 weeks of the population of five australian cities.

Overall, the majority of citizens the in the five cities went to a cafe for coffee or tea. Adelaide is the only australian city in this survey that more than the half of its residents didn't go the a cafe for coffee or tea.

Melbourne has the highest proportion of residents went to a cafe at around 64%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies a relevant overall feature: café visits were generally the most popular activity, and Adelaide was the only city where fewer than half went to a café. It also correctly notes Melbourne’s café figure at about 64%. However, the report is extremely incomplete: it gives no meaningful comparison of fresh and instant coffee purchases and omits the figures for most cities and categories. The statement that “the majority” went to a café is also too broad, since Adelaide’s figure was just under half. The response contains 78 words, below the required 150, which contributes to the limited coverage. To improve, provide a clear overview and compare the main highs, lows, and patterns across all three activities.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic structure, with an opening sentence, an overview paragraph, and a final sentence adding a specific detail about Melbourne. This gives the reader some sense of the response’s direction. However, the report ends abruptly and does not develop a logical sequence of comparisons across the chart. The final sentence is isolated rather than connected to the overview, and there are too few details for cohesive links to guide the reader through the data. Build the response in a fuller progression: introduce the chart, summarise the main patterns, then group city comparisons by activity or by notable similarities and differences. Use linking phrases such as “by contrast” and “while” where they clarify relationships.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the basic topic, with relevant terms such as “bar chart,” “proportion,” “residents,” and “highest.” The response also uses “went to a cafe” to describe café visits, so the main activity is understandable. However, the range is narrow and some expressions are imprecise or awkward, including “statistics about the drinking habits” and “the majority of citizens.” The repeated use of “city” and “cafe” also reflects the limited development. Use more precise chart language, such as “the percentage of residents who visited a café,” and distinguish “purchasing fresh coffee” from “buying instant coffee.” Check spelling and standard forms, including “Australian” and “café.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes a few simple sentence forms and an attempt at a more complex overview sentence, but the range is limited and errors are frequent. In “the majority of citizens the in the five cities,” the word order and extra article disrupt the sentence. “Adelaide is the only australian city in this survey that more than the half of its residents didn't go the a cafe” has faulty clause structure and missing or incorrect articles and prepositions. The final sentence, “Melbourne has the highest proportion of residents went to a cafe,” also needs a relative clause (“who went”) or a different construction. Aim for accurate, complete sentences first, then add controlled comparisons using “whereas” or “while.”

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