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 compares the percentages of people's coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five different cities in Australia.

Overall, the highest percentage of people went to a cafe for coffee or tea in last 4 weeks, while the percentage of people brought fresh coffee in last 4 weeks was the lowest in the given cities.

In terms of buying coffee or tea, the people who lived in Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart went to a cafe for coffee or tea in last 4 weeks, at above 60% each, which were the highest. Adelaide people was the lowest in the list, at less than 35%. The highest percentage of people who brought instant coffee in last 4 weeks were lived Hobart and Brisbane, at aroud 54% and 53% respectively. Sydney was the lowest in this category, at almost 45%

For the remaining category, the people who lived in Sydney brought frest coffee in last 4 weeks, at almost 44% and Melborne hold 2nd position in this category, which was around 42%. On the other hand, almost 34% of people who lived in Brisbane and Adelaide brough fresh coffee in last 4 weeks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and give an overview that correctly notes café visits as the highest category overall and fresh-coffee purchases as generally lower. You also report several relevant comparisons, including Hobart and Brisbane for instant coffee and Sydney and Melbourne for fresh coffee. However, the overview is too broad: fresh coffee is not the lowest category in every city, and café visits are not the highest in Adelaide, where instant coffee is slightly higher. The statement that Adelaide café attendance was “less than 35%” is a substantial misreading; it is close to 50%. To strengthen the response, compare the categories accurately across all five cities and make the key exceptions clear rather than relying on general claims.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. Grouping café attendance and instant-coffee purchases before discussing fresh coffee gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression within the paragraphs is uneven: the second paragraph begins “In terms of buying coffee or tea” but then focuses on café visits, and the final paragraph’s “For the remaining category” is a rather mechanical transition. Some comparisons are also difficult to follow because the city and category are not consistently stated in a clear pattern. Use a more deliberate sequence—for example, compare café attendance across cities, then purchases of the two coffee types—and use linking phrases that clarify the relationship between figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary such as “percentages,” “category,” “highest” and “lowest,” and the repeated labels make the subject understandable. However, the range is limited and several word-choice or spelling errors reduce precision: “brought” is used for buying, “frest” and “brough” are misspelled, and “Melborne” is incorrect. Phrases such as “hold 2nd position” and “Adelaide people” are also unnatural in this context. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding the main topic, but they make the report less accurate and polished. Aim for consistent, natural collocations such as “residents bought fresh coffee” and “ranked second,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer comparative sentences, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, control of sentence structure and agreement is inconsistent. For example, “Adelaide people was the lowest” has incorrect agreement and an unclear subject, while “The highest percentage … were lived Hobart and Brisbane” has a faulty verb pattern. The phrase “in last 4 weeks” also needs an article, and “which were the highest” does not clearly agree with the intended noun. Most sentences follow similar patterns, so the range remains limited. Practise accurate comparative structures and subject–verb agreement, and use complete, clearly formed clauses when reporting figures.

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