Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows how frequently people in the USA ate in fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013.

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

 

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The given bar chart illustrates the ratio of individuals eating fast food at restaurants in USA in a period of year 2003,2006 and 2013.

Overall, we can see there is a high ratio among citizens that eat fast food once a week or month. The category with smallest percentage is everyday.

In these three years, only 3 to 4% percent people used to eat fast food daily but, when it came to several times weekly the ratio significantly rose to even 20%. Furthermore, the bar chart has the highest ratio among people eating fast food once a week in USA which was even 32% in 2006.

As same as this, the frequency was equal in eating once a week or a month which was 32% in 2013.

In addition, never trying ratio was exact as the every day.

After concluding the chart, we came to know that individuals in USA loved to eat fast food mostly once and several times a week. Meanwhile, most rarely never or trying once in a week or a month.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad pattern that weekly and monthly visits were the most common, and you note that daily eating was among the least common. However, some key comparisons are unclear or inaccurate: the 2013 figures for once a week and once or twice a month were not equal (about 28% and 33%), and the highest weekly figure was about 33% in 2006, not 32%. The statement that people “mostly” ate several times a week is also not supported, as this category remained below the weekly and monthly categories. The overview would be stronger if it clearly summarised the shift from weekly visits being most common in 2003 and 2006 to monthly visits in 2013, with accurate supporting figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction, an overview, and several details. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “Furthermore,” and “In addition” help signal movement between points. However, the progression is not consistently clear because related comparisons are separated or repeated, and some references are difficult to follow. For example, “As same as this” does not clearly connect the preceding weekly figure to the monthly category, while “In addition, never trying ratio was exact as the every day” leaves the comparison ambiguous. The final sentence also introduces a confusing contrast between “never” and “trying once.” Group the main categories and compare the three years in a more deliberate order, using clear references to each frequency.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “bar chart,” “percentage,” “daily,” and “frequency,” so the reader can generally understand the subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are unnatural, such as “high ratio among citizens,” “never trying ratio,” and “loved to eat fast food.” These expressions make the report sound less precise and, in places, obscure the intended meaning. Prefer neutral, data-focused language such as “the proportion of people,” “the percentage who never ate fast food,” and “the most common frequency.” Also avoid repeating “ratio”; in this context, “share” or “proportion” is more appropriate. More accurate vocabulary would help distinguish frequency categories clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, including clauses introduced by “when” and “which.” However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms are frequent enough to make some statements awkward or unclear. Examples include “in a period of year 2003,2006 and 2013,” “3 to 4% percent people,” and “the frequency was equal in eating once a week or a month.” The sentence beginning “After concluding the chart” is also not formed naturally. Work on articles, prepositions, plural forms, and clause structure, and check punctuation between years and around linking words. Short, accurate comparisons such as “In 2013, monthly visits were more common than weekly visits” would improve clarity while still allowing you to practise complex sentences.

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