Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

the bar chart illustrates the percentage of people in five cities of Australia

bought fresh coffee bought instant coffee in visiting cafe in last four weeks.

overall, the percentage of people who visiting cafe for tea or coffee is in all five cities were the most popular option while buying tea or coffee were least popular option. about 60 to 65 percent were those who visit copy shops in addition the percentage of people who bought instant coffee is higher than those who bought fresh coffee,

looking at the figure in more detail Melbourne were the highest percent of people visited cafe for tea and coffee approximately around 64 percent followed by Hobart around 63 percent and Sydney at 61 percent at Brisbane 55 percent and Adelaide at 49 percent.

Regarding instant coffee at Melbourne had 48 percent Sydney at 46 percent Brisbane at 54 percent Adelaide at 50 percent and Hobart at 54 percent respectively.

by contrast fresh coffee at Melbourne had 42 percent Sydney at 44 percent Brisbane at 32 percent Adelaide at 32 percent and Hobart at 36 percent respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s three measures and provide an overview, noting that café visits are generally the most popular and that instant coffee purchases exceed fresh coffee purchases. You also compare all five cities and include figures, so the main subject is covered. However, the overview is not fully accurate: café visits are not the highest result in Adelaide, where instant coffee is slightly higher, and instant coffee is not the least popular option overall. Some reported figures for fresh coffee in Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart are also noticeably below the chart. To strengthen the response, check the comparisons against the data and make the overview more precise, including the highest and lowest results across the cities.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction, an overall statement, and then details about café visits, instant coffee and fresh coffee. This gives the reader a basic framework for following the information. However, progression within the paragraphs is weakened by unclear or awkward links, such as “at Brisbane 55 percent and Adelaide at 49 percent,” and the repeated city-by-city lists make the report feel mechanical. The overview also combines several ideas in a long, loosely connected sentence. Use clear paragraphing and consistent comparison patterns, and connect related figures with phrases such as “by comparison” or “whereas” so that the main contrasts are easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “followed by,” “approximately” and “by contrast,” which helps communicate the topic and comparisons. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate, making parts of the report less natural. For example, “people who visiting cafe” and “visit copy shops” do not express the intended idea clearly; “café visits” or “people who went to cafés” would be more suitable. “Buying tea or coffee” is also too broad for the chart, which reports purchases of fresh and instant coffee. Aim for precise terms that match the categories, and vary the language used to describe proportions and rankings.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both an overview and longer comparison sentences, but sentence structures are mostly simple or joined in ways that are difficult to control. Errors in verb forms and agreement occur in phrases such as “people who visiting cafe” and “Melbourne were the highest percent.” Articles and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “at Brisbane 55 percent and Adelaide at 49 percent,” while several sentences begin with lowercase letters or run together without clear punctuation. These errors sometimes make relationships between the figures unclear. Practise accurate past-tense reporting patterns, such as “The proportion who visited cafés was highest in Melbourne,” and use full stops and commas to separate each comparison clearly.

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