Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

the chsrt below shows how frequently people in usa ate in fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013. summarizing below

first everyday 2003 is 4% and then everyday 2006 is 3%after that everyday 2013 is 3% also.next several times a week 2003 is 17% and then several times a week 2006 is 20%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the topic and report some figures accurately: for example, daily eating is given as 4% in 2003 and 3% in both 2006 and 2013, and the 2003 and 2006 figures for several-times-a-week visits are also correct. However, the response stops before completing that comparison and omits most categories and the key overall patterns, so it does not provide a meaningful overview of the chart. The task requires at least 150 words, but this response contains only 43, which leaves too little space to select and explain the main features. To improve, include an overview and compare the main changes across all three years, using representative figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from daily visits to several visits a week, and words such as “first,” “then,” and “after that” show an attempt to connect information. However, the ideas are presented as one unfinished run of text rather than in a clear report structure. The second comparison ends after the 2006 figure, with no 2013 value or transition to the remaining categories, so progression is incomplete. Organise the response into an introduction, an overview, and one or two paragraphs grouping the data. Use linking phrases to show comparisons and changes, rather than relying mainly on repeated “then” constructions.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to identify the subject and the categories being discussed, with phrases such as “everyday” and “several times a week” making the intended frequency clear. However, the range is very limited and repetitive, and there is little language for describing comparisons or trends. The misspelling “chsrt” and the informal, incomplete phrase “summarizing below” also weaken the presentation. Use accurate chart-reporting expressions such as “the proportion of people,” “accounted for,” “rose to,” or “declined to,” while keeping category labels precise. Check spelling and choose a formal introductory phrase, for example, “The chart illustrates the frequency with which people ate at fast-food restaurants.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt simple statements that communicate several figures, and the repeated pattern “2003 is 4%” shows an effort to report data consistently. However, the response relies almost entirely on this basic structure and does not demonstrate a range of sentence forms. Some sentences run together without appropriate punctuation, as in “3%after that everyday 2013 is 3% also.next,” and the opening lacks standard capitalisation. Use complete, clearly punctuated sentences and vary the structure—for example, “The daily figure fell from 4% in 2003 to 3% in 2006, where it remained in 2013.” This would make the comparisons easier to follow and show more control.

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