IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Australian Coffee and Tea Habits
The 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.
Write at least 150 words.
Coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five cities in Australia

Task 1
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Band 9 Model Answer
The provided bar chart compares the coffee and tea consumption and purchasing habits of residents across five major Australian cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Hobart) over a four-week period.
Overall, it is clearly evident that visiting a café for coffee or tea was the most popular habit in nearly all the surveyed cities, with the exception of Adelaide. Furthermore, when purchasing coffee to drink at home, residents across all five cities consistently preferred instant coffee over fresh coffee.
Looking at café culture, Melbourne and Hobart recorded the highest proportion of residents visiting a café, both standing at roughly 63%. Sydney closely followed at 61%. In contrast, Brisbane and Adelaide had noticeably lower café attendance rates, with 55.4% and 49.9% of their populations participating in this activity, respectively.
Turning to home consumption, buying instant coffee was the second most common habit overall. Hobart again led this category with 54.1% of its residents purchasing instant coffee, followed closely by Brisbane (52.6%). Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney showed slightly lower figures, ranging from roughly 45% to 50%.
Conversely, purchasing fresh coffee was the least popular option across the board. Sydney and Melbourne had the highest percentages in this category, at 43.7% and 42.2% respectively. Meanwhile, Brisbane and Adelaide recorded the lowest demand for fresh coffee, with just over a third (approximately 34%) of their residents making such purchases during the four-week period.
💡 Why this is a Band 9 Answer:
- Task Achievement: The answer flawlessly summarizes the chart, completely correcting the disjointed, repetitive phrasing of the original draft. The overview perfectly highlights the two overarching trends: the dominance of café culture and the preference for instant coffee over fresh.
- Coherence & Cohesion: Paragraphs are logically organized. One paragraph focuses exclusively on café visits, while the next compares the two types of home purchases (instant vs. fresh). Transition phrases are used naturally (Overall, Looking at café culture, Turning to home consumption, Conversely).
- Lexical Resource: Uses precise, advanced vocabulary appropriate for describing survey data and consumer habits (consumption and purchasing habits, consistently preferred, proportion of residents, home consumption, across the board).
- Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Employs a superb mix of complex sentence structures flawlessly while maintaining highly accurate comparative phrasing (“Melbourne and Hobart recorded the highest proportion… both standing at roughly 63%.”).
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 2: Owning vs. Renting
The Task:
In some countries, owning a home rather than renting one is very important for people. Why might this be the case?
Do you think this is a positive or negative situation?
Write at least 250 words.
Task 2
Band 9 Model Essay
In many cultures around the world, purchasing a home is considered a fundamental life goal, often prioritized far above the flexibility of renting. This deep-seated desire for homeownership is primarily driven by the need for long-term financial security and psychological stability. I firmly believe that this cultural emphasis on owning property is an overwhelmingly positive situation, as it fosters individual wealth accumulation and builds stronger, more cohesive communities.
The most prominent reason people prioritize buying a house is the profound financial advantage it offers. Renting is frequently perceived as “dead money,” as monthly payments simply enrich a landlord without yielding any long-term return for the tenant. Conversely, paying a mortgage allows individuals to build substantial equity over time. Real estate generally serves as an appreciating asset; once a mortgage is fully paid, the homeowner possesses a valuable financial safety net that can be leveraged for retirement, sold for a profit, or passed down as generational wealth.
Furthermore, homeownership provides a crucial psychological anchor. The transient nature of renting often leaves families vulnerable to sudden evictions, unpredictable rent hikes, or restrictive landlord policies regarding pets and renovations. Owning a property eliminates this anxiety, granting individuals absolute autonomy to customize their living space. This permanence naturally encourages people to invest emotionally and financially in their local neighborhoods, establishing deep roots that are essential for raising children in a secure environment.
In my opinion, the societal push toward homeownership is a highly positive phenomenon. When a large percentage of a population owns their homes, society generally experiences lower crime rates and higher civic engagement, because residents have a literal vested interest in the prosperity and safety of their district. While taking on a decades-long mortgage is undeniably a heavy financial burden, the forced financial discipline it requires ultimately elevates the middle class and prevents elderly poverty.
In conclusion, the immense importance placed on owning a home stems from the universal human desire for financial equity and emotional permanence. Because it actively promotes generational wealth and cultivates stable, invested communities, the prioritization of homeownership is undoubtedly a positive societal development.
💡 Why this is a Band 9 Answer:
- Task Response: The essay perfectly addresses both questions in the prompt. It thoroughly explains why it is important (financial equity, psychological anchor/permanence) and provides a strong, well-justified opinion on why it is positive (community stability, wealth generation).
- Coherence & Cohesion: The essay utilizes a highly effective four-paragraph structure. Transition phrases guide the reader effortlessly through the complex arguments (The most prominent reason, Conversely, Furthermore, In my opinion, In conclusion).
- Lexical Resource: Showcases an exceptional, sophisticated vocabulary suited for a socioeconomic discursive essay (fundamental life goal, wealth accumulation, substantial equity, appreciating asset, psychological anchor, transient nature of renting, civic engagement).
- Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Uses a wide variety of complex grammatical structures perfectly, creating a highly persuasive, authoritative, and academic tone.
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