Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-27

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 given bar graph illustrates the outcome of a survey about the purchasing and drinking habits of coffee and tea among five different Australian cities.

Overall, it is readily apparent that going to a cafe for coffee or tea was the most common habit of four out of five cities, with the exception of Adelaide, where people prefer instant coffee. Additionally, the habit of residents buying fresh coffee was least common, as they prefer instant coffee more than this.

To begin with, in Sydney and Melbourne, more than 60% and roughly around 64% of people visited a cafe for coffee or tea in the last 4 weeks, respectively. In contrast, the percentage of people buying instant coffee is just over 45% in Sydney, while the percentage of people in Melbourne is roughly 2% higher than it. Furthermore, in both cities people purchasing fresh coffee is slightly less than 45%, while the percentage of Melbourne is less than 1% of Sydney's.

On the other hand, in Brisbane and Adelaide the percentage of people who purchase fresh coffee is almost the same (nearly 34%) in both cities, respectively, whereas in Hobart it accounted for around 38%. In contrast, the percentage of residents who prefer to visit a cafe for coffee or tea in Brisbane is just over 55%, whereas 63% is of Hobart, while the percentage of people in Adelaide is almost 5% less than in Brisbane. Moreover, people who bought instant coffee in the last 4 weeks in Hobart accounted for nearly 54%, while the percentage of people in Brisbane and Adelaide is less than 2% and 4% as compared to Hobart, respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The student provides a clear overview and successfully selects and reports the main features of the chart. The response effectively highlights key trends, such as the dominance of café visits in most cities compared to Adelaide's preference for instant coffee. Data points are cited accurately from the visual text, with comparisons made between the cities. For instance, the mention that 'in Sydney and Melbourne, more than 60% and roughly around 64% of people visited a cafe' accurately reflects the source data. The overview is well-crafted, capturing the primary patterns without unnecessary listing of every single figure. This demonstrates a strong ability to meet the demands of Task 1, earning a solid band 7.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introduction and a distinct overview paragraph, followed by well-sequenced body paragraphs grouping the cities logically. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'To begin with', 'In contrast', and 'On the other hand' are used effectively to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different categories and city groupings. However, some referencing is slightly clunky, such as 'while the percentage of Melbourne is less than 1% of Sydney's', which slightly impacts the natural flow of information, keeping the score at a band 7.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary suited to academic report writing, using terms such as 'illustrates', 'purchasing habits', 'dominance', and 'percentage'. Less common vocabulary items are attempted with some awareness of style, for example, 'readily apparent' and 'accounted for'. There are occasional inaccuracies in word choice or awkward phrasing, such as 'the habit of residents buying fresh coffee was least common' and 'whereas 63% is of Hobart', but these do not impede communication. The lexical range is sufficient to convey precise data points, supporting a band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and comparative structures effectively (e.g., 'where people prefer instant coffee' and 'whereas in Hobart it accounted for around 38%'). There are instances of minor grammatical awkwardness and slight structural slips, such as 'the percentage of people in Brisbane and Adelaide is less than 2% and 4% as compared to Hobart, respectively', where the comparison phrasing is tangled. Nevertheless, the majority of sentences are grammatically sound, and punctuation is handled well enough to ensure clear communication throughout, meriting a band 6.5.

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

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