Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-23

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 depicts a survey about people’s coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five cities in Australia.

Overall, it is clear that in all five Australian cities, people were more likely to go to cafés to buy coffee or tea. In contrast, purchasing fresh coffee in the previous four weeks was less common in all the cities. However, the percentage of people who bought instant coffee varied across these cities.

In Sydney, 60% of people had been to cafés in the previous four weeks. However, the percentages of people who bought instant coffee and fresh coffee were relatively similar, at 45% and 43%, respectively. In Hobart, 65% of citizens had visited cafés, while only 38% of individuals had bought fresh coffee. Meanwhile, 54% of people had bought instant coffee.

In Melbourne, the percentage of people visiting cafés was the highest among all five cities, at 67%. Fresh coffee, meanwhile, was purchased by only 42% of people. In addition, the percentages of people who bought fresh coffee in Brisbane and Adelaide were the same, at 34%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the chart well. You have successfully identified the overall trend that café visits were the most popular activity across all cities. You also provided specific data points to support your comparisons, such as the 67% in Melbourne and the 34% in Brisbane and Adelaide. However, the response is incomplete as it fails to mention the data for Adelaide and Brisbane regarding instant coffee, and it misses the opportunity to provide a more comprehensive comparison of all five cities. To reach a higher band, ensure that all categories are addressed for every city mentioned to provide a complete summary of the provided information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information by city. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'However', 'Meanwhile', and 'In addition' to link sentences and paragraphs effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate, with each section serving a distinct purpose. The flow is generally smooth, though the transition between the second and third body paragraphs could be slightly more refined to better integrate the remaining data points. Overall, the structure is clear and supports the reader's understanding of the data.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'buying and drinking habits', 'relatively similar', and 'varied across these cities' are used accurately. You avoid repetition by using synonyms such as 'citizens', 'individuals', and 'people'. While the vocabulary is functional and appropriate for the task, it lacks a wider range of less common lexical items that would elevate the response to a higher band. To improve, try incorporating more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'a significant proportion', 'the lowest figure', or 'a marginal difference'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response displays a good control of grammar with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and your use of punctuation is accurate. You correctly use comparative structures, such as 'the percentage of people visiting cafés was the highest among all five cities'. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. To achieve a higher score, you could incorporate a wider variety of complex structures, such as passive voice constructions or more sophisticated subordinate clauses, to demonstrate greater flexibility in your writing.

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

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