Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-10

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 8.5)

The bar chart compares the proportion of Australian men and women across six different age brackets who participated in regular physical activity in the year 2010.

Overall, it is clear that women were generally more active than men in most age groups, except for the youngest category. Additionally, while the percentage of active men experienced a dip in middle age before recovering, women maintained a more stable and higher level of participation throughout their adult years.

Looking at the details, the youngest cohort (aged 15 to 24) was the only group where men outnumbered women, with 52.8% of males engaging in regular exercise compared to 47.7% of females. However, this trend reversed dramatically in the subsequent age groups. For the 25-to-34 category, the female participation rate rose to 48.9%, while the male figure dropped significantly to 42.2%.This gap widened further in middle age. The lowest activity rate for men was recorded in the 35–44 age group at 39.5%, whereas women reached their highest participation levels during their mid-adult years, peaking at 53.3% in the 45–54 age bracket. As the population aged, the figures began to converge again. By the age of 65 and over, the gap between genders almost closed entirely, with 47.1% of women and 46.7% of men maintaining a routine of regular physical activity.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response is excellent. You have successfully identified all key features of the chart, including the overall trend where women generally show higher participation rates, the exception in the 15–24 age group, and the convergence of data in the oldest category. Your selection of data points to support these trends is precise, such as noting the peak for women at 53.3% and the lowest point for men at 39.5%. The summary is accurate, and the comparisons between genders are made consistently throughout the report, fulfilling all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You use an effective introductory sentence, a concise overview, and two well-structured body paragraphs that group the data logically. Cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'However', 'In the subsequent age groups', and 'As the population aged' are used naturally to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the general overview from the specific data analysis, ensuring the information is easy to follow and coherent throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You demonstrate a wide and flexible range of vocabulary that is well-suited to the task. Phrases such as 'age brackets', 'subsequent age groups', 'participation rate', and 'figures began to converge' show a high level of control and precision. The vocabulary is not only accurate but also varied, avoiding unnecessary repetition. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and the language used is sophisticated enough to convey the data clearly and professionally, which is characteristic of a high-band response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

Your control over grammar is excellent. You utilize a variety of complex sentence structures, such as the contrastive clause 'while the percentage of active men experienced a dip... women maintained a more stable... level', with high accuracy. Punctuation is used correctly, and there are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and you display a strong command of tense and subject-verb agreement throughout the report. The writing is fluent and demonstrates a high level of grammatical flexibility.

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