Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-04

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 illustrates the percentage of people in five Australian cities who bought fresh coffee, bought instant coffee, or went to a café for coffee or tea during the previous four weeks.

Overall, visiting cafés was the most popular activity in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart, while buying instant coffee was the most common choice in Brisbane and Adelaide. In contrast, purchasing fresh coffee was the least popular habit in all five cities.

Looking first at café visits, Melbourne recorded the highest figure, at approximately 63%, followed by Sydney and Hobart, both at around 61%. The proportion in Brisbane was considerably lower, at about 54%, while Adelaide had the lowest figure, at roughly 49%.

Regarding instant coffee, Hobart had the highest percentage, at about 53%, closely followed by Brisbane at 52%. Adelaide and Melbourne accounted for approximately 50% and 48%, respectively, while Sydney had the lowest proportion, at around 46%.

Finally, the figures for fresh coffee purchases were much lower. Sydney had the highest percentage, at about 44%, followed by Melbourne at 42%. The figures for Hobart, Brisbane and Adelaide were approximately 38%, 34% and 34%, respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have clearly identified the main features and provided relevant comparisons across the five cities. The overview is concise and accurately captures the key trends, such as the popularity of café visits in certain cities versus instant coffee in others. You have selected data points appropriately to support your descriptions, and the information is presented in a logical, structured manner. To reach a higher band, you could further synthesize the data by grouping cities with similar trends more explicitly, rather than listing them city by city, which would demonstrate a more sophisticated level of data analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response is well-organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific category (café visits, instant coffee, fresh coffee), which makes the information easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast,' 'Looking first at,' and 'Regarding' effectively to transition between ideas. The paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the report. The referencing is clear, and the flow of information is smooth throughout the text. No significant issues with cohesion were noted.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic report. Phrases like 'recorded the highest figure,' 'accounted for approximately,' and 'the proportion was considerably lower' are used accurately. The vocabulary is precise and fits the context of describing statistical data well. While the range is sufficient, incorporating a few more varied synonyms for 'highest' or 'lowest' (such as 'peaked at' or 'bottomed out') could elevate the lexical sophistication. Overall, the language is natural and error-free.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response displays a high level of grammatical accuracy. You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively, such as 'Melbourne recorded the highest figure, at approximately 63%, followed by Sydney and Hobart, both at around 61%.' Punctuation is used correctly to manage clauses and lists. There are no noticeable grammatical errors, and the control over sentence structure is consistent throughout the piece. The writing is clear, precise, and demonstrates a strong command of English grammar.

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