Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-06

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 percentages of residents in five Australian cities who bought fresh coffee, bought instant coffee, or visited a cafeteria for coffee or tea during the previous four weeks.

Overall, visiting a cafeteria was the most popular activity in four of the five cities, while buying fresh coffee was the least common choice in every city. In addition, the proportion of people purchasing instant coffee was generally higher than that of those buying fresh coffee.

Cafeteria attendance was highest in Melbourne, where just over 60% of residents had visited a cafeteria in the previous four weeks. Sydney followed closely at 60%, while the figures for Hobart and Brisbane were approximately 58% and 55%, respectively. Adelaide recorded the lowest percentage, at just under 50%.

With regard to coffee purchases, buying instant coffee was consistently more popular than buying fresh coffee. Around 50% of people in Brisbane purchased instant coffee, making it the highest figure among the five cities, followed by Hobart at about 49%. The proportions in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney were approximately 46%, 45%, and 44%, respectively.

By contrast, fresh coffee attracted considerably fewer buyers. Around 44% of Sydney residents bought fresh coffee, compared with 43% in Melbourne. The figures were much lower in the remaining cities, standing at approximately 34% in Hobart, 34% in Brisbane, and 35% in Adelaide.

Taking everything into account, the survey indicates that Australians generally preferred drinking coffee or tea at cafeteria over purchasing coffee for home consumption, while instant coffee was consistently more popular than fresh coffee across the five cities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

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, such as the popularity of cafeteria visits compared to coffee purchases. Comparisons are made throughout, such as noting that cafeteria attendance was highest in Melbourne and lowest in Adelaide. The data is accurately represented, and the structure allows for a logical comparison between the three categories across the five cities. The response is well-developed and meets all the requirements for a high-band Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs categorized by activity, and a summary. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, and the progression of ideas is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In addition', 'With regard to', and 'By contrast' are used effectively to link ideas and sentences. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the information flows naturally from the general overview to the specific details of the data. There is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive use of linking words.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision. Phrases like 'consistently more popular', 'recorded the lowest percentage', and 'home consumption' are used appropriately. The vocabulary is natural and fits the academic context of the task. While the range is good, it could be further enhanced by incorporating more sophisticated synonyms or collocations to describe trends, such as 'marginal difference' or 'a significant disparity'. However, the current usage is accurate and supports the clear communication of the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response displays a high level of grammatical control. You have used a variety of complex structures, such as 'while the figures for Hobart and Brisbane were approximately 58% and 55%, respectively' and 'making it the highest figure among the five cities'. The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is used correctly throughout. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent, which is indicative of a high-level performance.

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