Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-13

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 4.5)

There is a barchart which illustrate the use of fast food in USA and there is a comparison between 2003 and 2013.

Chart shows the comparsion between % of people and the eating frequency of people. It shows that in 2006 people usually eat fast food once a week and in 2013 people like to eat fast food once or twice a month. It shows that with the passage of time the focus of people in eating fast food varies.

There is a percentage of people from 0% to 40%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the chart’s subject and reports two relevant peaks: weekly eating was highest in 2006, while monthly eating was highest in 2013. However, it gives very little of the chart’s information and does not provide a clear overview of the main pattern across all three years. The statement that people’s focus “varies” is too general, and the 0%–40% range is only the axis scale, not a key finding. The comparison also omits 2003 and gives no figures to support the observations. The response is 90 words, below the required 150. To improve, summarise the main shifts and include several accurate comparisons, such as the rise in monthly dining from 2006 to 2013 and the decline in weekly dining by 2013.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the chart, mentions two observations, and then refers to the percentage scale. This gives the reader some sense of the topic, but the ideas do not develop into a clear, organised summary. The second paragraph repeats the idea of comparison without adding much detail, while the final sentence about the 0%–40% range feels disconnected from the main observations. Linking phrases such as “By contrast” or “Overall” could help show how the categories and years relate. A clearer structure would use an introduction, an overview of the main trends, and a paragraph comparing the most important figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to identify the chart topic and basic comparisons, using phrases such as “percentage of people,” “once a week,” and “once or twice a month.” However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise for describing chart data. “Use of fast food” is less accurate than a phrase describing how often people eat at restaurants, and “focus of people” does not clearly express a change in frequency. There are also spelling errors in “barchart” and “comparsion.” Use precise terms such as “proportion,” “frequency,” “accounted for,” and “increased/decreased” to describe the data more clearly and avoid repeating general wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response uses mostly simple sentence patterns, with a few attempts to connect ideas using “which” and “that.” Meaning is generally understandable, but errors in agreement and articles are noticeable: “There is a barchart which illustrate” should use a plural verb, and “in USA” needs an article. The sentence “Chart shows the comparsion between % of people and the eating frequency of people” is also awkwardly constructed, making the relationship between the information unclear. The repeated “It shows that” structure limits variety. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and article use, then combine simple statements into controlled comparisons, for example, “The proportion eating weekly peaked in 2006 before falling in 2013.”

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