Cambridge 10 Writing Task 1 Test 1 - Sample Answers (Band 9 to 4-5)

Real band 9, 8, 7 and 6.5 sample answers for this prompt, plus a genuine band 4-5 answer so you can see exactly what pulls a score down. Every sample comes with examiner-style notes on Task Achievement, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.

The Prompt

Australian Household Energy Use

The charts below show how energy is used in an average Australian household and the greenhouse gas emissions which result from this energy use.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

The Data

Household energy use (%)

Heating: 42%

Water heating: 30%

Other appliances: 15%

Refrigeration: 7%

Lighting: 4%

Cooling: 2%

Greenhouse gas emissions (%)

Water heating: 32%

Other appliances: 28%

Heating: 15%

Refrigeration: 14%

Cooling: 6%

Lighting: 5%

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Band 9

168 words

Identifies the one comparison that matters most, that the two charts rank the categories differently, and states it clearly.

The two pie charts compare how energy is consumed by an average Australian household across six categories, and how much greenhouse gas each of those categories produces as a result.

Overall, heating accounts for by far the largest share of household energy use, whereas water heating is responsible for the largest proportion of greenhouse gas emissions, meaning the two charts do not follow an identical ranking.

Heating makes up 42% of energy consumption, considerably more than any other category, followed by water heating at 30%. Other appliances account for 15%, while refrigeration, lighting and cooling together make up just 13% of the total.

The emissions chart tells a noticeably different story. Water heating, responsible for 32% of emissions, overtakes heating, which falls to only 15%, well below its 42% share of energy use. Other appliances, meanwhile, rise from 15% of energy use to 28% of emissions, the second-largest category. Refrigeration also rises proportionally, from 7% to 14%, while cooling and lighting remain relatively minor contributors on both charts.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Covers every category accurately, and the overview identifies the single most useful comparison, that the two charts do not share the same ranking, rather than simply listing figures from each chart in turn.

Coherence & Cohesion: A dedicated overview precedes the supporting detail, and cohesive devices ("whereas", "meanwhile") connect the two charts rather than treating them as separate reports.

Lexical Resource: Precise, varied language for comparison ("considerably more", "overtakes", "a noticeably different story", "rises proportionally") used accurately throughout.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Wide range of accurate structures, including comparatives and passive constructions, used with full control.

Band 8

151 words

Accurate and clearly organised, just slightly less sharply focused in its overview than a band 9 answer.

The two pie charts show how energy is used in an average Australian home, and how much greenhouse gas is produced by each type of energy use.

Overall, heating uses the most energy of all the categories, but it is not the biggest cause of greenhouse gas emissions, which instead comes mostly from water heating.

Looking at the energy use chart, heating takes up 42% of the total, much more than water heating at 30%. Other appliances make up 15%, and the remaining categories, refrigeration, lighting and cooling, together account for only 13%.

However, the emissions chart shows a different pattern. Water heating produces 32% of emissions, the largest share, while heating drops down to just 15%, far below its share of energy use. Other appliances also produce a larger share of emissions, 28%, compared to their 15% share of energy use, and refrigeration rises slightly too, from 7% to 14%.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Covers all six categories accurately with a clear overview, though the key comparison is expressed a little more plainly ("comes mostly from water heating") than the sharper contrast a band 9 answer draws.

Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised with an overview followed by chart-by-chart detail; "However" marks the shift between charts effectively, if slightly abruptly.

Lexical Resource: Good range of vocabulary for describing proportions, though "a different pattern" is less precise than the more specific comparative language of a higher-band answer.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Accurate mix of simple and complex sentences with good control throughout; only minor plainness rather than actual errors.

Band 7

167 words

Every figure is reported accurately, but the comparison relies on the same two or three phrases repeated across both charts.

The pie charts give information about energy use in an Australian household and the greenhouse gases that come from using this energy.

Overall, heating is the biggest use of energy, but it does not create the most greenhouse gas, because water heating causes more gas than heating does. This shows that the amount of energy used for something does not always match the amount of pollution it produces.

In the first chart, heating is 42% of energy use, which is the highest number, and water heating is 30%. Other appliances are 15%, and refrigeration, lighting and cooling are small amounts, only 7%, 4% and 2%.

In the second chart, the numbers change a lot. Water heating becomes the highest at 32%, and heating goes down to only 15%. Other appliances go up to 28%, and refrigeration also goes up a little to 14%, while cooling and lighting stay quite low. This means water heating and other appliances are less efficient in terms of pollution compared to heating.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Reports every figure accurately and the overview correctly identifies the main contrast, but it is expressed as a simple fact rather than as an analytically framed comparison.

Coherence & Cohesion: Organised clearly by chart, but the second and third paragraphs read a little like a list of figures reported in turn rather than a connected comparison.

Lexical Resource: Adequate range for the task, though "goes up" and "goes down" are repeated several times where a wider range of comparative language would score higher.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Generally accurate mix of simple sentence structures; meaning is always clear, though the range of grammar used is narrower than in higher-band answers.

Band 6.5

159 words

The figures are all correct, but subject-verb agreement errors appear in almost every sentence.

The pie chart show about energy use in Australia house and the gas that come from this energy.

Overall, heating use most energy but it not make the most gas, water heating make more gas than heating. This show that using more energy is not always same as making more pollution for environment.

In first chart, heating is 42% which is highest, and water heating is 30%. Other appliance is 15%, and refrigeration, lighting, cooling is small number, only 7%, 4% and 2%. These number show heating and water heating together use most of energy in the house.

In second chart, the number is change a lot. Water heating become highest at 32%, and heating go down to only 15%. Other appliance go up to 28%, and refrigeration also go up little to 14%, but cooling and lighting stay low still. These change show water heating and other appliance make more pollution compare to how much energy they use.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: Reports all six figures accurately across both charts with a basic overview stating the main contrast, though comparison language stays minimal throughout.

Coherence & Cohesion: Follows a clear chart-by-chart structure, but transitions between the two charts are abrupt ("In second chart") rather than genuinely linking them.

Lexical Resource: Limited range; "appliance" is used where "appliances" is needed throughout, and figures are reported with the same handful of phrases.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent subject-verb agreement errors ("chart show", "heating use", "it not make", "water heating make", "the number is change", "heating become highest") appear across nearly every sentence, though the figures themselves stay accurate and understandable.

Band 4-5 - What to Avoid

67 words

Vague category names, missing figures, and a stray personal opinion in a report task — a genuine band 4-5 answer.

This chart show energy use in house. Heating is 42%. Water heating is 30%. Other thing is 15%. Small thing is little percent.

Second chart show gas. Water heating is 32% now. Heating is only 15% this time. Other thing go up to 28%.

I think heating use much energy but not much gas, this is interesting to see in the chart, water heating is opposite way.

Examiner Notes

Task Achievement: There is no real overview separating the main trend from supporting detail, refrigeration, lighting and cooling are dismissed as "small thing" without their actual figures, and the closing sentence ("this is interesting to see") is a personal reaction that has no place in a Task 1 report. At well under 150 words, the response is also underlength.

Coherence & Cohesion: Reads as a list of isolated figures with almost no linking between them beyond "then"/"now", and the two charts are never explicitly compared to each other.

Lexical Resource: Extremely basic and vague vocabulary ("Other thing", "Small thing", "little percent") in place of the actual category names and figures given in the source data.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent errors — missing verb agreement and plural forms throughout ("chart show", "Other thing is", "Other thing go up").

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These sample answers are written independently for Prep IELTS Now to illustrate real band-score differences. They are a study aid, not official Cambridge or IELTS material.