Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-09

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 5.0)

The bar chart compares how frequently individuals consumed fast food in fast food restaurants in the USA between 2003, 2006 and 2013.

Overall, it is evedent that the proportation of people ate fast food in the USA once a week and once or twice a month recorded the highest figure, while every day and never had the lowest. And several times a week and a few times a year had almost equal.

In 2003, the proportion of people ate fast food once or twice a month recor

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the chart’s subject and gives a broad overview, noting that weekly and monthly eating were the most common patterns, while daily eating and never eating were least common. However, the overview is imprecise: weekly eating was the highest category in 2003 and 2006, whereas monthly eating became highest in 2013. The only attempted detail begins, “In 2003,” and then breaks off, so the response does not report meaningful figures or comparisons across the three years. The required minimum of 150 words is not met; at 87 words, the report is too incomplete to cover the main features adequately. Develop the overview and include selected, accurate comparisons for each year.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic structure: an introduction is followed by an overview and the start of a detail paragraph. “Overall” signals the overview, and the categories are grouped in a way that could help organise the report. However, the response stops mid-sentence at “record,” leaving the final paragraph unfinished and preventing a clear progression through the data. The overview also joins separate points with “And,” which makes the connection between them feel abrupt. To improve, complete the report with one paragraph comparing the main categories and another describing changes over time, using clear links such as “By contrast” or “By 2013.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant vocabulary for describing a chart, including “bar chart,” “proportion,” “figure,” and frequency labels such as “once a week.” This shows some ability to use task-related language, and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, the range is narrow, with repeated reliance on “people,” “ate fast food,” and “figure.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “evedent” and “proportation,” and the phrase “consumed fast food in fast food restaurants” is repetitive. Use accurate forms such as “evident” and “proportion,” and vary reporting language with expressions like “accounted for” or “the share of respondents.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both a complex introductory clause and an overview sentence, but grammatical control is inconsistent. For example, “the proportion of people ate fast food” lacks a suitable relative clause or preposition; write “the proportion of people who ate fast food” or “the proportion of people eating fast food.” The phrase “once a week and once or twice a month recorded the highest figure” also has an unclear subject and number relationship. Sentence structures are mostly simple, and the final sentence is incomplete, so there is little evidence of controlled variety. Practise accurate clauses for describing proportions and ensure each sentence has a complete subject and verb before adding more complex structures.

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