Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-17

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graphs below show the percentage of people holding full driving licences in Great Britain by age and sex.

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

Full car driving licence holders: by sex and age

Student answer (Band 8.0)

The bar charts illustrate the percentages of men and women in Great Britain who held a full car driving licence in 1975/76 and 2006, with the figures divided into seven different age groups.

Overall, it is clear that the proportion of people with full driving licences increased considerably between 1975/76 and 2006 in most age groups. Another notable feature is that men generally had higher rates of licence ownership than women in the earlier period, whereas the figures for women increased substantially by 2006 and, in several age groups, became comparable to or higher than those for men.

Looking first at men, in 1975/76, the highest proportion of licence holders was among those aged 30–39, at approximately 65%, followed by the 21–29 and 40–49 groups, at around 60% and 55% respectively. The figure for men aged 17–20 was considerably lower, at about 35%. By 2006, however, the percentages had risen among most younger and middle-aged groups. Around 85% of men aged 30–39 held a full licence, while the corresponding figures for those aged 40–49 and 50–59 were approximately 80% and 85%. Among people aged 60–69, the figure also increased to roughly 90%, making this the highest proportion for men.

Turning to women, the pattern was somewhat different. In 1975/76, licence ownership was relatively low among women, particularly those aged 17–20 and 70 or over, at approximately 20% and 5% respectively. The proportion was higher among women aged 30–39 and 40–49, at around 50% and 35%. By 2006, however, there had been a marked increase in every age group. The figure reached approximately 80% among women aged 30–39 and 40–49, while it was around 75% for those aged 50–59. Even among the oldest group, the proportion rose substantially, reaching about 30%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response is excellent. You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You have selected key features, such as the general increase in licence ownership and the narrowing gender gap, and supported these with relevant data points from the charts. The comparison between the two time periods is handled effectively throughout. You have addressed all parts of the prompt, and the information is well-selected and accurate. There are no significant omissions, and the response is fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group information by gender. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'however', 'in contrast', and 'the corresponding figures' to link sentences and clauses effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the analysis of men and women. The flow of information is natural and easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a high band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a wide and flexible range of vocabulary, which is used with precision. Phrases such as 'proportion of people', 'licence ownership', 'marked increase', and 'comparable to' show a sophisticated command of language. The vocabulary is appropriate for an academic report and is used naturally. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and you successfully avoid repetition by using varied synonyms and structures to describe the data trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

Your writing displays a high level of grammatical control. You use a variety of complex sentence structures, such as subordinate clauses ('whereas the figures for women increased substantially...') and participial phrases, with high accuracy. Punctuation is used correctly to manage complex information. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the few minor slips that might occur are not present here. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the response.

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