Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-07-27

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 8.5)

The bar chart compares the percentages of residents in five Australian cities who, during the previous four weeks, bought fresh coffee, purchased instant coffee, or visited a café for coffee or tea.

Overall, visiting a café was the most common activity in four of the five cities, while buying fresh coffee was consistently the least popular. Melbourne had the highest proportion of residents who visited cafés, whereas Brisbane recorded the lowest percentage of fresh coffee buyers.

In Sydney, approximately 44% of residents had bought fresh coffee in the preceding four weeks, while the figure for instant coffee was slightly higher, at around 46%. By contrast, about 61% had visited a café for coffee or tea, making this by far the most popular activity in the city. Melbourne showed a similar pattern, with approximately 43% purchasing fresh coffee and 48% buying instant coffee. However, café visits were substantially more common, at roughly 64%, the highest figure on the chart.

The figures for Brisbane were lower for fresh coffee, at around 34%, while approximately 53% purchased instant coffee and 56% visited a café. Adelaide recorded almost the same proportion of fresh coffee buyers, at about 34%, but instant coffee purchases and café visits stood at approximately 50% each. Finally, Hobart had around 38% of residents buying fresh coffee, compared with approximately 54% purchasing instant coffee. Café visits were considerably more prevalent, at about 63%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response is excellent. You have successfully identified the main features of the data and provided a clear overview. You have made relevant comparisons between the five cities and the three categories, ensuring all parts of the prompt are addressed. The data is accurately reported, and the selection of key information—such as Melbourne having the highest café visits and Brisbane the lowest fresh coffee buyers—demonstrates a strong ability to synthesize information. The response is well-structured and fully satisfies the requirements of an Academic Task 1 report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from an introduction and overview to specific city-by-city comparisons. You have used a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'By contrast', 'However', and 'Finally', which help the reader follow the argument without difficulty. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different data points, and the referencing is clear throughout. The flow of information is smooth and professional.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision. Phrases such as 'consistently the least popular', 'substantially more common', and 'considerably more prevalent' demonstrate a good command of language. The vocabulary is natural and appropriate for an academic report. While the range is solid, incorporating a few more sophisticated synonyms for 'figures' or 'proportions' could elevate the score further. Overall, the lexical control is strong, and there are no errors that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The response displays a high level of grammatical accuracy. You have used a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of subordinate clauses in 'Melbourne had the highest proportion of residents who visited cafés, whereas Brisbane recorded the lowest percentage of fresh coffee buyers.' Punctuation is accurate, and there are virtually no grammatical errors. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the text, making the writing very easy to read and professional in tone.

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