Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-17

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 bar graph compares the numbers of students in the UK, Japan and Germany who participate in three different activities on a typical weekday: sleeping, studying and relaxing.

Overall, Japanese students spend considerably more time studying than their British and German counterparts, while they devote substantially less time to relaxation. By contrast, students in the UK and Germany have broadly similar patterns, particularly in terms of sleeping and relaxing.

In terms of sleeping, students in the UK spend the greatest amount of time in bed, at 8.5 hours per day, followed closely by those in Germany, at 8 hours. Japanese students, by comparison, sleep for only 7 hours.

A similar pattern can be seen in relaxation, with British and German students each spending 7 hours on this activity. This figure is 3 hours higher than the corresponding figure for Japan, where students relax for just 4 hours.

The most striking difference concerns study time. Japanese students devote 13 hours per weekday to studying, which is considerably higher than the figures for Germany and the UK, at 9 and 8 hours respectively. Japanese students therefore study for 5 hours longer than those in the UK and 4 hours longer than those in Germany.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response fully satisfies the requirements of Task 1 by providing a clear and comprehensive summary of the bar chart. The writer successfully highlights the main features and makes precise comparisons between the three countries. An effective overview is included, pointing out the standout trends such as Japanese students spending significantly more time studying and less on relaxation compared to their counterparts in the UK and Germany. Specific data points, such as 13 hours of study for Japan and 8.5 hours of sleep for the UK, are accurately reported and used to support the overview without unnecessary listing of every single figure. All parts of the prompt are well covered.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical progression from the introductory statement to the overview, followed by well-structured body paragraphs dedicated to specific activities (sleeping, relaxing, and studying). Paragraphing is used appropriately, ensuring each category is distinct and easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'By contrast', 'In terms of', and 'respectively' are handled naturally to link ideas and comparisons. Referencing is consistently clear throughout, creating a smooth and cohesive reading experience that reflects a high standard of organization.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

The student uses a wide and precise range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task. Phrases such as 'considerably more time', 'substantially less time', 'broadly similar patterns', and 'most striking difference' demonstrate a flexible control of lexical items and collocation. Word choices are natural and accurate throughout the response, with no noticeable spelling or word-formation errors. The student successfully avoids repetition by using varied synonyms and referencing phrases like 'corresponding figure' and 'counterparts'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

A wide variety of complex structures is used with a high degree of accuracy. The majority of sentences are completely error-free, featuring sophisticated subordinate clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'Japanese students devote 13 hours per weekday to studying, which is considerably higher than the figures for Germany and the UK...'). Control over punctuation, verb tenses, and prepositions is excellent. There are no noticeable grammatical slips, reflecting complete command over the grammatical range required for a high band score.

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

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