Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-07-25

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows the results of a survey about people’s coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five Australian cities.

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

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The bar chart compares the outcomes of a survey about people's coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five major cities in Australia.

It is clear that the package of instant coffee purchased increased in five cities. In contrast, the purchase of fresh coffee has seen a decline in city residents in the last 4 weeks.

It is clear that the majority of people went to cafés for coffee and tea in Sydney, Hobart, and Melbourne by over 60%, while we saw a decline in both Brisbane and Adelaide. Moreover, the rates of people who purchased instant coffee demonstrated an upward trend of nearly 50%.

Looking at the chart in more detail, it is evident that the percentage of city residents buying fresh coffee steadily declined over three cities, which are Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, with less than 35%. In contrast, there were gradual increases in Adelaide and Hobart, about 40%, which is greater than Melbourne and Brisbane

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the task by identifying main features, such as the popularity of cafes and the trends in coffee purchasing. However, the data interpretation is inconsistent and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the claim that instant coffee purchases increased by 'nearly 50%' is not clearly supported by the visual data, and the description of fresh coffee trends is confusingly phrased. The report lacks a clear overview that synthesizes the data effectively, and some comparisons are vague or contradictory. To improve, ensure that the data cited directly matches the chart and that the overview highlights the most significant differences between the cities rather than listing individual trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is hindered by some confusing transitions and unclear referencing. For instance, the phrase 'over three cities, which are Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane' is awkward, and the connection between sentences is sometimes mechanical. While cohesive devices like 'In contrast' and 'Moreover' are used, they do not always accurately reflect the relationship between the ideas presented. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer to their antecedents would enhance the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey the main points. There is an attempt to use topic-specific language such as 'outcomes', 'survey', and 'upward trend'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'the package of instant coffee purchased increased' and 'decline in city residents'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of the report. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations related to data description, such as 'proportion of residents' or 'consumption habits'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the purchase of fresh coffee has seen a decline in city residents' (the decline is in the purchase, not the residents) and 'greater than Melbourne and Brisbane' (which lacks a comparative structure). Punctuation is generally correct, but the sentence construction is occasionally clunky. To improve, focus on ensuring that subjects and verbs agree logically and that comparative structures are complete and accurate.

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