Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-01

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The bar chart shows the typical weekday for students in three different countries.

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

Student answer (Band 8.5)

The given bar graph compares the average number of hours that students in the UK, Japan, and Germany spend on three typical weekday activities: studying, sleeping, and relaxing.

Overall, it is evident that Japanese students spent the most time studying, whereas relaxing accounted for the smallest amount of time in all three countries. In general, there were noticeable differences among the three countries, with studying being the most time-consuming activity for Japanese and German students.

To begin with, students in the UK spent almost the same amount of time sleeping and studying, at approximately 8.5 hours and 8 hours, respectively. They devoted around 7 hours to relaxing, making it the least time-consuming activity. In contrast, Japanese students spent the greatest amount of time studying, at about 13 hours. Meanwhile, they spent only around 4 hours sleeping and approximately 7 hours relaxing.

In Germany, studying also recorded the highest figure, standing at about 9 hours. This was followed by sleeping, at approximately 8 hours, while relaxing accounted for around 7 hours. Overall, German students allocated their time more evenly across the three activities than students in the other two countries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the main trends and successfully selected and reported key features from the bar chart. Comparisons are made throughout, such as noting that Japanese students spend the most time studying while relaxing is the least time-consuming activity across all countries. The data is accurately represented, and the information is well-selected to highlight the differences between the three nations. The response is well-structured and meets the requirements for a Band 7.5 or 8.0, as it provides a comprehensive summary of the data provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: the introduction, the overview, and then specific details for each country. You have used cohesive devices effectively, such as 'In contrast', 'Meanwhile', and 'This was followed by', which help the reader follow the comparison easily. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the report. The flow of information is smooth, and there is a good balance between general statements and specific data points, which is characteristic of a high-scoring response.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information accurately. Phrases like 'accounted for', 'devoted around', and 'allocated their time more evenly' demonstrate a good level of control and precision. While the vocabulary is functional and appropriate for the task, it could be slightly more varied to reach the highest band. For instance, instead of repeating 'time-consuming', you could use synonyms like 'demanding' or 'intensive'. Overall, the lexical range is more than adequate for the task, and there are no errors that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response displays a good command of grammatical structures. You have successfully used a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'Overall, it is evident that Japanese students spent the most time studying, whereas relaxing accounted for the smallest amount of time'. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are very few grammatical errors. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate a wider variety of complex structures, such as passive voice constructions or more sophisticated subordinating clauses, but the current level is already very strong.

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