Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-21

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The bar chart below shows the percentage of Australian men and women in different age groups who did regular physical activity in 2010.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 7.5)

The bar graph compares the proportions of Australian males and females of various age groups who engaged in regular physical activity in 2010.

Overall, the percentage of men who engaged in regular physical activity fell initially, reaching its lowest point among those aged 35-44. This figure then rose gradually among the older age group. In contrast, the proportion of women increased initially before reaching a peak among those aged 45-54. This figure then fell slightly in the age group, 65 and over. However, the proportion of women remained higher in all age groups except 15-24.

Among men, the proportion recorded remained highest among those aged 15-24, at 52.8%. This figure then fell sharply, reaching the lowest point of 39.5% among those aged 35-44. This percentage then increased gradually to 46.7% among those aged 65 and over.

Among women, the percentage recorded was 47.7% among those aged 15-24. This figure then rose steadily to 52.5% in the age group 35-44 before it peaked at 53.3% in the age group 45-54. This proportion then remained almost stable at 53% in the age group 55-64 and then fell significantly to its lowest point of 47.1% among those aged 65 and over.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the main trends and successfully selected key data points to support your summary. The comparisons between genders are well-integrated, such as noting that women generally had higher participation rates except in the 15-24 age bracket. The data is accurately reported, and the structure allows for a logical flow of information. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview highlights the most significant 'big picture' trends even more explicitly, perhaps by contrasting the overall stability of female participation against the more volatile fluctuations seen in male participation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from an overview to specific details for men and then women. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'However', and 'This figure then' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall readability of the report. The flow is smooth, and the information is presented in a way that is easy for the reader to follow without any confusion regarding the data being discussed.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data accurately, including terms like 'proportions', 'engaged in', 'fell sharply', and 'remained almost stable'. The language is precise and appropriate for an academic report. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it is somewhat standard. To achieve a higher band, you could incorporate a slightly wider variety of collocations or more sophisticated synonyms for 'increased' or 'decreased' (e.g., 'witnessed a marginal decline' or 'experienced a steady climb') to demonstrate greater flexibility in your lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response demonstrates a good command of grammatical structures. You have successfully used a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'The bar graph compares the proportions... who engaged in...' and 'This figure then rose steadily... before it peaked at...'. Punctuation is generally accurate, and there are very few errors. The sentences are clear and well-constructed. To improve further, you could experiment with more varied sentence beginnings or more complex subordinating clauses to add even more sophistication to your writing, although the current level is already quite strong and error-free.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.