IELTS Writing Task 1: Bar Chart (Band 9 Sample Answer)
This Academic Task 1 asks you to summarise a bar chart comparing coffee and tea habits across five Australian cities. A band-9 response paraphrases the chart, gives a clear overview of the main patterns, and then groups the key figures into two organised body paragraphs. The model below is about 175 words.
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1The task
The chart below shows the results of a survey about people’s coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five Australian cities. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
2Band 9 sample answer
177 words · Band 9The bar chart compares the percentage of residents in five Australian cities who, over a four-week period, bought fresh coffee, bought instant coffee, or visited a café for coffee or tea.
1Overview
Overall, going to a café was the most popular activity in most of the cities, while buying fresh coffee was generally the least common. Adelaide was the clear exception, being the only city where café visits were not the leading habit.
2Key features
Café visits were highest in Melbourne and Hobart, at 63% each, closely followed by Sydney on 61%. Adelaide stood well apart, with only 39% of people having visited a café. Buying fresh coffee varied less and remained comparatively low throughout, ranging from 34% in Brisbane and Adelaide to 43% in Sydney.
Instant coffee showed the opposite tendency. It was the leading habit in Adelaide at 50%, and was similarly high in Hobart and Brisbane, at 53% and 52% respectively, whereas it fell to 44% in Sydney and 47% in Melbourne. In these two larger cities, then, residents clearly favoured cafés over instant coffee at home.
3Why this scores Band 9
1Task Achievement
The response selects the truly significant patterns — café visits leading in four cities, Adelaide as the exception, and instant coffee dominating there — rather than listing all fifteen values. A separate overview states the overall trend without any numbers, which band 9 requires.
2Coherence & Cohesion
The four-part structure (introduction, overview, then two grouped body paragraphs) is textbook. Comparison signposts — "closely followed by", "stood well apart", "showed the opposite tendency", "whereas" — sequence the data naturally rather than mechanically.
3Lexical Resource
Survey-description language is varied and precise — "the leading habit", "varied less", "comparatively low", "the opposite tendency", "clearly favoured" — with accurate approximation ("ranging from … to"). No word is misused or repeated needlessly.
4Grammatical Range & Accuracy
A mix of structures supports the data cleanly: a "who … " relative clause in the introduction, comparative and superlative forms ("highest", "less", "similarly high"), and "respectively" to pair figures accurately. The report is error-free with no forced complexity.
4Useful collocations for this task
Tap a phrase to see what it means and how to use it. Natural collocations like these lift your Lexical Resource score.
5Frequently asked questions
How do I write the overview for a bar chart?
State the biggest overall patterns without specific numbers — here, that café visits led in most cities and fresh coffee was generally lowest. A clear overview is the single most important feature examiners look for above band 6.
Do I need to mention every bar?
No. Band 9 means selecting and grouping the significant features — the highs, lows and exceptions — not reporting all fifteen values. Over-listing minor data actually lowers your score.
How long should Academic Task 1 be?
At least 150 words in about 20 minutes. A band-9 answer is typically 170–200 words. This model is 177 words.
Should I compare the cities or describe them one by one?
Compare. Grouping by behaviour and highlighting contrasts ("whereas", "the exception") shows the examiner you can select and relate data, which scores far higher than a city-by-city list.
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