Band 8 Task 1 masterclass
Three complete band 8–9 answers (a line graph, a table and a process diagram) dissected sentence by sentence, with examiner commentary on all four criteria, a self-assessment checklist and a timed bar chart task with a band 9 model.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Identify exactly what separates band 7, band 8 and band 9 in each of the four Task 1 criteria
- Analyse three band 8–9 answers (line graph, table, process) and the examiner's reasoning behind each score
- Apply the shared habits of top-band reports: interpretive overviews, grouping by behaviour, exact data language and purposeful complex grammar
- Assess your own writing with an examiner-style checklist
- Write a band 8+ bar chart report in 20 minutes
What changes from band 7 to 8 to 9 (public band descriptors, paraphrased)
| Criterion | Band 7 | Band 8 | Band 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
Task Achievement | A clear overview of the main trends, differences or stages; key features covered, but they could be more fully extended | All requirements covered sufficiently; key features presented, highlighted and illustrated clearly and appropriately | Fully satisfies the task: a clearly presented, fully developed response |
Coherence and Cohesion | Logical organisation and clear progression; a range of linking devices, with some under- or over-use | Information sequenced logically; all aspects of cohesion managed well; paragraphing sufficient and appropriate | Cohesion so natural that it attracts no attention; paragraphing skilfully managed |
Lexical Resource | Enough range for some flexibility and precision; some less common items; occasional errors in word choice or collocation | A wide range used fluently and flexibly for precise meaning; skilful use of less common items; only occasional slips | A wide range with very natural, sophisticated control; rare minor errors occur only as slips |
Grammatical Range and Accuracy | A variety of complex structures; frequent error-free sentences; good control, though some errors remain | A wide range of structures; the majority of sentences error-free; only very occasional errors | A wide range used with full flexibility and accuracy; rare minor errors only as slips |
Year
- Bus
- Private car
- Metro
- Taxi and ride-hailing
| Year | Bus | Private car | Metro | Taxi and ride-hailing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 420 million | 250 million | 0 million | 40 million |
| 2003 | 435 million | 280 million | 0 million | 38 million |
| 2006 | 440 million | 310 million | 0 million | 35 million |
| 2009 | 410 million | 330 million | 70 million | 35 million |
| 2012 | 360 million | 340 million | 160 million | 60 million |
| 2015 | 320 million | 345 million | 260 million | 110 million |
| 2018 | 300 million | 340 million | 360 million | 150 million |
The line graph compares the number of journeys made by bus, private car, metro, and taxi or ride-hailing service in one city over the 18-year period from 2000 to 2018.
Overall, the city's travel patterns were transformed. Buses, initially the most common means of transport, carried steadily fewer passengers in the second half of the period, while the metro grew from nothing to become the most heavily used mode. Car travel rose before levelling off, and taxis, although they remained a minor option, grew rapidly in later years.
In 2000, buses accounted for 420 million journeys, considerably more than private cars, at 250 million. Bus use edged up to a peak of 440 million in 2006 but then fell steadily, ending the period at 300 million. Car journeys, meanwhile, climbed consistently until 2012, after which they stabilised at around 340 million.
The metro, which was not yet operating in 2006, handled 70 million journeys in 2009. This figure rose by roughly 90 to 100 million every three years, reaching 360 million in 2018, by which time the metro had overtaken both buses and cars. Taxi and ride-hailing journeys, by contrast, dipped slightly from 40 million to 35 million in the 2000s before more than quadrupling to 150 million by 2018.
- IntroductionOne sentence naming all four modes, the place and the period. Listing the categories ('bus, private car, metro, and taxi or ride-hailing service') is a quick, natural paraphrase of 'four types of transport'.
- Overview: interpretation first'Travel patterns were transformed' is a judgement about the whole graph, supported by four features in order of importance: buses falling, the metro rising to the top, cars levelling off, taxis growing late. There are no figures. From this paragraph alone, an examiner can see that the writer has understood the data.
- Grouping by behaviourBody 1 covers the two modes that were already established in 2000 (bus and car). Body 2 covers the two that grew (metro and taxis). The order of the legend is ignored, because following it would separate lines that belong together.
- Selection with purposeAbout ten of the 28 data points are quoted, and each is a start, a peak, a turning point or an end point. The 2003 figures, for example, add nothing and are skipped.
- Precision'which was not yet operating in 2006' reports exactly what the graph shows instead of inventing an opening year. 'by which time the metro had overtaken' places the crossing between 2015 and 2018 without pretending to know the exact year.
- Analysis, not description'rose by roughly 90 to 100 million every three years' turns four data points into one insight about the rate of growth. Sentences like this separate band 9 from band 7.
- Cohesion through referencethis figure, after which, by which time, meanwhile, by contrast. The links are built into the sentences, and no sentence begins with 'Firstly' or 'Moreover'.
- LengthAbout 210 words: long enough to be fully developed, short enough to leave three or four minutes for checking.
Examiner's report: Model 1 (line graph)
| Criterion | Band | Examiner's commentary |
|---|---|---|
Task Achievement | 9 | Fully satisfies the task. The overview identifies the most significant developments, above all the decline of buses against the rise of the metro, and every key feature is supported with accurate, well-chosen figures. Nothing is invented: the writer says the metro was 'not yet operating in 2006' instead of guessing an opening year. |
Coherence and Cohesion | 9 | Data are grouped by behaviour (established modes, then growing ones), so each paragraph has a single clear purpose. Cohesion comes mainly from reference and sentence structure ('this figure', 'after which', 'by which time'), so it attracts no attention. The two linkers used, 'meanwhile' and 'by contrast', are exactly right. |
Lexical Resource | 9 | Words are sized to each change: 'edged up' (+20 million), 'dipped slightly' (−5 million), 'stabilised', 'fell steadily', 'more than quadrupling'. Collocations are natural and precise ('the most heavily used mode', 'means of transport', 'travel patterns were transformed'), and 'increase' never appears. No errors. |
Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 9 | A wide range used with full control: non-defining relative clauses, 'after which', a past perfect for an event between data points ('by which time the metro had overtaken'), an -ing clause ('before more than quadrupling') and a comparative ('considerably more than'). Every sentence is error-free. |
Overall (this task) | 9 | A model of what 'fully developed' means: complete, selective, exact and analytical. |
The same paragraph at band 7 and band 9
Band 7: accurate but mechanical
The metro started in 2009 and the number of journeys increased dramatically from 70 million to 360 million in 2018, so it became the most popular transport at the end of the period. On the other hand, taxi journeys decreased slightly from 40 million in 2000 to 35 million in 2009. However, after that the number increased significantly and it reached 150 million in 2018.
Band 9: precise and analytical
The metro, which was not yet operating in 2006, handled 70 million journeys in 2009. This figure rose by roughly 90 to 100 million every three years, reaching 360 million in 2018, by which time the metro had overtaken both buses and cars. Taxi and ride-hailing journeys, by contrast, dipped slightly from 40 million to 35 million in the 2000s before more than quadrupling to 150 million by 2018.
The band 7 paragraph is accurate and readable, which is why it is a 7 and not a 6. Five things hold it back. (1) An invented fact: the graph does not show that the metro 'started in 2009', only that it had no passengers in 2006. (2) A label instead of analysis: 'increased dramatically' covers nine years in two words, while the band 9 version notices the steady rate of growth. (3) A missing comparison: it never says that the metro overtook buses and cars. (4) Word choice: 'the most popular transport' should be 'the most heavily used mode' or 'the most popular means of transport'. (5) Mechanical linking: 'On the other hand' introduces a contrasting argument, not a second line on a graph, and 'However, after that' stacks two linkers where one structure ('before more than quadrupling') does the job.
Check your understanding: Model 1
6 questions- 1
Passenger journeys in 2015 (millions): private car 345, bus 320, metro 260. In 2018: metro 360, private car 340, bus 300.
The metro was the most heavily used mode of transport in 2015.
- 2
Which is the best overview sentence for the transport graph?
- 3
Bus use edged up to a peak 440 million in 2006.
- 4
Find and correct the mistake:
The number of car journeys were stabilised at around 340 million after 2012.
- 5
Match each change on the graph to the most precise description.
Bus: 420 → 435 → 440 million (2000–2006)Taxi: 35 → 150 million (2009–2018)Car: 340 → 345 → 340 million (2012–2018)Bus: 440 → 300 million (2006–2018) - 6
Choose TWO reasons why Model 1 puts buses and cars in one body paragraph and the metro and taxis in the other.
Select 2.
Answer every question to check.
| Subject | Applications 2015 | Applications 2025 | Accepted 2015 (%) | Accepted 2025 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 1,200 | 3,900 | 30 | 11 |
| Medicine | 2,800 | 3,100 | 8 | 7 |
| Business | 2,000 | 2,400 | 35 | 30 |
| Engineering | 1,500 | 1,800 | 25 | 22 |
| History | 900 | 450 | 60 | 78 |
The table compares the number of applications received by a university in five subjects in 2015 and 2025, together with the proportion of applicants who were offered a place.
Overall, demand rose in every subject except History, with Computer Science recording by far the most dramatic growth. Over the same period, it became harder to gain admission to four of the five courses, the exception again being History, while Medicine remained the most selective subject in both years.
The most striking change was in Computer Science, where applications more than tripled, from 1,200 to 3,900, making it the most popular choice in 2025. Its acceptance rate, meanwhile, plummeted from 30% to just 11%. Medicine, which attracted the most applicants in 2015 (2,800), saw a more modest rise to 3,100, and fewer than one in twelve applicants were accepted in either year.
Business and Engineering followed a similar but much gentler pattern, with applications growing by 400 and 300 respectively and acceptance rates slipping by a few percentage points, to 30% and 22%. History was the only subject to buck the trend: applications halved to 450, while the proportion of successful applicants rose from 60% to 78%, the highest rate in the table.
- IntroductionTwo measures and two years: the introduction mentions both the applications and the acceptance rate. Forgetting the second measure is one of the commonest Task Achievement slips with tables.
- Overview: find the exceptionThree features: demand rose everywhere except History (Computer Science most of all), admission became harder everywhere except History, and Medicine was the most selective. History appears twice as 'the exception'. Spotting the row that breaks the pattern is half the work with a table.
- Regrouping the rowsThe table lists Computer Science, Medicine, Business, Engineering, History. The answer regroups them into the two extremes of demand (Computer Science and Medicine), a similar middle pair (Business and Engineering, handled in one sentence with 'respectively') and the exception (History).
- Complete but selectiveEvery row is covered, but not every cell is quoted. Medicine's rates are summarised as 'fewer than one in twelve' (8% and 7%), and Business and Engineering are compared through their changes rather than their raw totals.
- Percentage pointsA fall from 35% to 30% is five percentage points, not 5% (a 5% fall from 35% would give 33.25%). 'Slipping by a few percentage points' gets this right without fuss, a quiet signal of band 8+ accuracy.
- Comparisons across rows'making it the most popular choice in 2025' and 'the highest rate in the table' compare subjects with each other, not just each subject with its own past. Tables reward this kind of cross-comparison.
- No invented causesThe writer never says why History lost applicants or why Computer Science became popular. It is tempting to explain, but the table does not say, so an examiner would treat it as irrelevant.
Examiner's report: Model 2 (table)
| Criterion | Band | Examiner's commentary |
|---|---|---|
Task Achievement | 9 | Both measures are covered for all five subjects, and the overview captures the three ideas that matter. Comparisons are made across rows (Computer Science overtaking Medicine) as well as across years. Figures are exact, and the approximation 'fewer than one in twelve' is accurate for 8% and 7%. |
Coherence and Cohesion | 9 | Regrouping the rows into extremes, a similar pair and an exception gives the report a logic that the table itself does not have. 'respectively', 'the exception again being', 'meanwhile' and 'a similar but much gentler pattern' make relationships explicit without mechanical linkers. |
Lexical Resource | 9 | Precise and natural: 'gain admission', 'the most selective', 'buck the trend', 'percentage points'. The strongest word, 'plummeted', is reserved for the biggest change (30% to 11%), while smaller changes get 'slipping' and 'a more modest rise'. No errors. |
Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 9 | Full control of a wide range: relative clauses ('where applications more than tripled', 'which attracted'), an -ing result clause ('making it…'), an absolute construction ('the exception again being History') and 'with + noun + -ing'. Every sentence is error-free. |
Overall (this task) | 9 | Shows that a table answer is about selection and grouping, not about copying numbers. |
Two leaves and a bud picked by hand on the tea estate every 7–10 days
Leaves weighed on the estate, then taken to the factory by truck
Leaves spread in troughs; warm air blown through them for 12–16 hours removes about a third of their moisture
Leaves twisted by rolling machines, breaking the cell walls and releasing the juices
Leaves left in a cool, humid room for 1–2 hours; colour changes from green to copper
Leaves heated to about 120°C to stop oxidation; colour turns black
Tea sieved and sorted into four grades by particle size
Samples assessed by professional tasters
Packed in foil-lined sacks and sold at auction
Two leaves and a bud picked by hand on the tea estate every 7–10 days
Leaves weighed on the estate, then taken to the factory by truck
Leaves spread in troughs; warm air blown through them for 12–16 hours removes about a third of their moisture
Leaves twisted by rolling machines, breaking the cell walls and releasing the juices
Leaves left in a cool, humid room for 1–2 hours; colour changes from green to copper
Leaves heated to about 120°C to stop oxidation; colour turns black
Tea sieved and sorted into four grades by particle size
Samples assessed by professional tasters
Packed in foil-lined sacks and sold at auction
The diagram illustrates the stages by which fresh tea leaves are turned into black tea ready for sale.
Overall, the process consists of nine stages, beginning with the plucking of leaves on a tea estate and ending with the sale of the finished product at auction. Most of the stages take place in a factory, where the leaves gradually lose moisture and change colour from green to black.
First, two leaves and a bud are picked by hand every seven to ten days. Once they have been weighed, the leaves are taken to the factory by truck and spread in troughs, where they are withered for 12 to 16 hours as warm air is blown through them. This removes about a third of their moisture.
The withered leaves are then twisted by rolling machines, which break their cell walls and release their juices. After this, they are left in a cool, humid room for one to two hours to oxidise, during which time they turn from green to copper. Oxidation is halted by heating the leaves to around 120°C, at which point they become black. Finally, the tea is sieved and sorted into four grades according to particle size, assessed by professional tasters, and packed in foil-lined sacks to be sold at auction.
- Introduction'how black tea is produced' becomes 'the stages by which fresh tea leaves are turned into black tea ready for sale'. The verb changes and both the raw material and the end product are named.
- Overview: what 'main features' means for a processThe number of stages, the start and end points, the change of location (estate → factory → auction) and the overall transformation (moisture and colour). A process has no trends, so these are its main features.
- Where to split the bodyBody 1 runs from the bush to the end of withering; Body 2 covers the factory transformations from rolling to sale. Splitting a nine-stage process roughly in half at a natural break reads far better than one long paragraph.
- The passive, accuratelyMore than ten passive verbs (are picked, have been weighed, are taken, are withered, is blown, are twisted, is halted, is sieved…), because the process matters more than the workers. 'Oxidise' and 'turn' stay active because the leaves change by themselves.
- Sequencing built into the grammarOnce they have been weighed, where, as, then, After this, during which time, at which point, Finally. Only a few conventional sequencers are used; the rest of the order is carried by clauses.
- Every detail kept7–10 days, 12–16 hours, a third of the moisture, 1–2 hours, around 120°C, four grades. Numbers in a process diagram are key features, so they all appear.
- Watch the borrowed wordsCompare the answer with the labels: 'withered', 'twisted', 'sieved and sorted', 'assessed by professional tasters' and 'foil-lined sacks' all come straight from the diagram. This is accurate, but it is the reason Lexical Resource stops just short of 9 in the examiner's report.
Examiner's report: Model 3 (process)
| Criterion | Band | Examiner's commentary |
|---|---|---|
Task Achievement | 9 | All nine stages are reported in the correct order with their key details (7–10 days, 12–16 hours, a third of the moisture, 1–2 hours, around 120°C, four grades). The overview gives the number of stages, the start and end points, the change of location and the overall transformation. |
Coherence and Cohesion | 9 | The two body paragraphs split the process at a logical point: preparing the leaf, then manufacturing the tea. Sequencing is varied and mostly carried by clauses ('Once they have been weighed', 'during which time', 'at which point') rather than 'First… Then… Next…'. |
Lexical Resource | 8 | Accurate and appropriate, with some precise choices of the writer's own ('halted', 'according to particle size', 'gradually lose moisture'). However, much of the key vocabulary comes straight from the diagram ('withered', 'twisted', 'sieved and sorted', 'assessed by professional tasters', 'foil-lined sacks'). Examiners can only credit the range you show yourself. For a clear 9, transform more labels: 'evaluated for quality by expert tasters', 'graded by size', 'packed for shipment in sacks lined with foil'. |
Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 9 | The present simple passive is used accurately throughout, alongside a perfect passive in a time clause ('Once they have been weighed'), relative clauses with prepositions ('during which time', 'at which point') and a 'by + -ing' clause ('by heating the leaves'). No errors. |
Overall (this task) | 8.5–9 | An excellent answer whose only weakness is that part of its range is borrowed from the diagram. This is the commonest reason strong process answers miss a 9. |
The band 8–9 DNA
Put the three models side by side and the same seven habits appear in all of them.
- The overview interprets. Each makes a judgement about the whole visual (travel patterns were transformed; demand rose in every subject except History; the leaves gradually lose moisture and change colour) before giving any detail.
- Paragraphs follow the data's behaviour. Established vs growing modes; extremes, a similar pair and an exception; preparation vs manufacture. None of the answers simply follows the order of the visual.
- Coverage is complete; quotation is selective. Every line, row and stage is mentioned, but figures appear only when they prove a point.
- The data language is exact. Percentage points, by which time, not yet operating, fewer than one in twelve. Nothing is invented and nothing is blurred.
- Linking is mostly invisible. Reference words and clauses (this figure, after which, during which time) do most of the work; conventional linkers are few and exactly chosen.
- Vocabulary is sized to the data. Edged up for a small rise, plummeted for a fall from 30% to 11%. A dramatic word for a small change is an error, not a flourish.
- Complex grammar carries information. Every relative or participle clause adds a fact or a relationship. None is there for decoration.
The 20-minute plan behind them
| Minutes | Job |
|---|---|
| 0–3 | Analyse: biggest, smallest, fastest change, crossings, exceptions; decide your two groups |
| 3–5 | Introduction: one paraphrased sentence |
| 5–8 | Overview: two or three features, no figures |
| 8–17 | Two body paragraphs, one group each |
| 17–20 | Check every figure and unit, by/to, tenses, articles and plurals |
Self-assessment checklist: mark your answer like an examiner
Writing Task 1 practice
150+ words · 20 minThe chart below shows the proportion of in-store purchases made using five methods of payment in one country in 2014, 2019 and 2024.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Method of payment
- 2014
- 2019
- 2024
| Method of payment | 2014 | 2019 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | 55% | 40% | 18% |
| Debit card | 25% | 30% | 30% |
| Credit card | 15% | 16% | 14% |
| Mobile wallet | 2% | 11% | 35% |
| Other | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Self-check before submitting
- ☐ My introduction paraphrases the prompt (e.g. 'methods of payment used for in-store purchases' → 'how purchases in shops were paid for').
- ☐ My overview, with no figures, says that cash declined sharply, mobile wallets rose to become the most common method, and card use changed relatively little.
- ☐ I grouped cash and mobile wallets together (opposite trends) and the cards and other methods together (relative stability).
- ☐ I reported the key crossing: by 2024 mobile wallets had overtaken both cash and debit cards.
- ☐ I used precise multiples or fractions (more than trebled; less than a third of its 2014 level).
- ☐ I used 'proportion', 'share', 'per cent' and 'percentage points' correctly.
- ☐ I used at least three different complex structures accurately.
- ☐ I used past tenses for 2014–2024 and did not explain why the changes happened.
- ☐ Every figure matches the chart and has a % sign or the words 'per cent'.
- ☐ 170–200 words, written in 20 minutes, with 3 minutes left for checking.
Final quiz: thinking like an examiner
11 questions- 1
Match each criterion to the evidence an examiner looks for.
Task AchievementCoherence and CohesionLexical ResourceGrammatical Range and Accuracy - 2
The Business acceptance rate fell from 35% to 30%. Which description is accurate?
- 3
Find and correct the mistake:
The leaves are wither for 12 to 16 hours.
- 4
Find and correct the mistake:
The proportion of successful History applicants rose by 18% between 2015 and 2025.
- 5
Applications for Business and Engineering grew by 400 and 300 .
- 6
Computer Science applications: 1,200 (2015) and 3,900 (2025).
Computer Science applications more than quadrupled between 2015 and 2025.
- 7
Which is the best overview for the tea diagram?
- 8
Choose TWO problems that would lower a Task Achievement score.
Select 2.
- 9
Put the 20-minute Task 1 plan in order.
Drag the cards (or use the arrows) into the correct order.
- 1Write a one-sentence introduction
- 2Write the overview
- 3Check figures, units, tenses and articles
- 4Analyse the visual and decide your groups
- 5Write two body paragraphs
- 10
Why does Model 1 say 'The metro, which was not yet operating in 2006, handled 70 million journeys in 2009' instead of 'The metro opened in 2009'?
- 11
Mobile wallet payments rose from 11% to 35% of purchases between 2019 and 2024, so their share more than .
Answer every question to check.
Key takeaways
Keep your progress
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