Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-14

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)

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Task Prompt

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.

Model Answer

260 words

Punctuation: 1

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

Overall, visiting a cafe 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.

Cafe attendance was highest in Melbourne, where just over 60% of residents had visited a cafe 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 cafés 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 8.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the task. You have successfully identified the main features and provided clear comparisons between the five cities and the three categories. The overview is concise and accurately captures the primary trends, such as the popularity of cafe visits compared to home coffee consumption. Data is used effectively to support the descriptions, and the selection of information is balanced, ensuring that no category is neglected. The report is well-structured and meets all requirements for a high-level response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear progression of ideas from the overview to the specific details of cafe attendance and then to coffee purchases. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate different aspects of the data. Cohesive devices, such as 'By contrast', 'In addition', and 'With regard to', are used naturally to link sentences and paragraphs. The flow of information is smooth, and the referencing is clear throughout the text, making the report very easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You demonstrate a wide and flexible range of vocabulary, which is used with precision. Phrases such as 'home consumption', 'consistently more popular', and 'recorded the lowest percentage' show a high level of control. The vocabulary is appropriate for an academic report, and there are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation. The use of language is natural and sophisticated, contributing significantly to the clarity and professionalism of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The response exhibits a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences and varied clause structures, which are used with high accuracy. Punctuation is handled correctly, and there are no significant grammatical errors. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the control over tense and subject-verb agreement is excellent. The writing is fluent and demonstrates a high level of grammatical competence throughout.

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

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