Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The given chart depicts how often individuals in the USA consumed fast food in resturants within the year 2003 and 2013.

Overall, the trend of eating out everyday was higher in 2003 compared to 2006 and 2013 though the percentage was smaller, same goes with never having fast food.

Looking at the data of fast food consumption on every single day, upto 4% of peple ate in hotels in the year 2003 which was comparatively higher than later years. The number of people who ate at resturants grew to 20% when it comes to eating out several times a week, peaking at the year 2006. Similar trend can be noticed on frequency of a week but the percentage rose to 32%-33%. Whereas the data reads diferently when it comes to enjoying fast food once or twice a month. The percentage of publics were same as once a week but it peaked in the year 2013. 15% of locals enjoyed eating out in resturants in both 2006 and 2013 year but in 2003 it was a bit lower. And finally, about never dinning out, that was highest in year 2003 which declined in later year from 5% to 3%-4%.

In conclusion, the most preferred frequency of eating fast food resturants among people in the USA is once a week in 2003 and also in 2006, whereas its once or twice a month in the year 2013.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main shift from weekly dining in 2003 and 2006 to monthly dining in 2013, and you include several relevant figures, such as 20% eating out several times a week in 2006 and 15% going a few times a year in 2006 and 2013. However, some comparisons are unclear or inaccurate: “the percentage rose to 32%-33%” does not specify that this refers to once-a-week dining, and the claim that monthly dining was “same as once a week” is not true across the years. The overview also says everyday eating was higher in 2003, although it was 4% versus 3% in both later years; the “never” figures are likewise only slightly higher in 2003. Select the key patterns more precisely and distinguish categories when reporting figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a sequence of details, and a concluding comparison. This gives the reader a generally coherent route through the chart. However, the body moves between categories without consistently naming them, so phrases such as “Similar trend can be noticed on frequency of a week” and “The percentage of publics were same as once a week” make the comparisons difficult to follow. “Whereas” also introduces a contrast without a complete, clearly connected clause. Grouping the categories into higher-frequency and lower-frequency patterns, and using explicit references such as “the weekly figure” or “the monthly category,” would improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “peaking,” “declined,” “frequency,” and “preferred,” which helps describe changes and comparisons. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural for this chart: people ate in “hotels” rather than fast-food restaurants, “enjoying fast food” shifts the focus from frequency, and “percentage of publics” is not idiomatic. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “resturants,” “peple,” “diferently,” and “dinning.” Use precise category labels from the chart and check spelling carefully; this would make the information clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “though,” “when,” and “whereas,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. Some sentence structures, however, are awkward or incomplete. For example, “Whereas the data reads differently when it comes to enjoying fast food once or twice a month” is a dependent clause without a main clause, while “The percentage of publics were same as once a week” has problems with agreement and article use. The opening sentence also uses an unclear time construction (“within the year 2003 and 2013”). Build complete sentences around each comparison, check singular/plural agreement, and use consistent past-tense reporting.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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