Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-19

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 8.0)

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 is excellent. You have fully addressed all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons across the five cities. The overview is clear and effectively highlights the key trends, such as the popularity of cafes versus the lower preference for fresh coffee. You have successfully selected and reported the data without simply listing figures, which demonstrates a high level of analytical skill. The information is well-supported by the data provided in the chart, and the comparisons between cities are accurate and logically presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

Your writing is logically organized and flows smoothly. Each paragraph has a clear focus, moving from an overview to specific details about cafe attendance and then to coffee purchasing habits. You use a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'In addition', 'With regard to', and 'By contrast', which help guide the reader through the data. The progression of ideas is logical, and the paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different aspects of the survey results. The referencing is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a wide and flexible range of vocabulary, which is used with precision. Phrases such as 'consistently more popular', 'recorded the lowest percentage', and 'attracted considerably fewer buyers' show a good command of collocation and style. The vocabulary is appropriate for an academic report and contributes to the clarity of the analysis. There are no significant errors in word choice, and the language used is natural and sophisticated enough to meet the requirements for a high band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response displays a wide range of grammatical structures with a high degree of accuracy. You use complex sentences effectively, such as 'The bar chart compares the percentages of residents... who bought fresh coffee... or visited a cafe', and maintain control over tense and subject-verb agreement. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and punctuation is used correctly throughout. There are no noticeable grammatical slips that impede communication, and the overall control of language is very strong.

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

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