Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-14

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 chart illustrates how often community in the USA eating at the fast food restaurants from 2003 to 2013. The units are measured in percentage.

Overall, the large amount of people eating at the fast food restaurants in once a week and once or twice a month in 2006 and 2013, and both remains constant over the period, while least amount of people eating fast food everyday in the year 2006 and 2013.

In 2003, only 4% of people eating fast food everyday and 3% in the year 2006 and 2003. However, 17% of people eating several times a week in 2003 and it increased to 20% in 2006 and further decreased and reached at 16% in 2013. In addition, 31% of people eating fast food once a week in 2003 and once or twice a month in the period of 2013 and remain constant in both years. While, it slighthly rose about 33% in 2006 and fell down to 28% in 2013. Likewise, in once or twice a month 30% of people eating at restuarants in 2003 and it droped to 25% in 2006. On the other hand, 13% of people eating a few time a year in 2003 and slightly grow at 15% in 2006 and 2013. Furthermore, 5% of people eating never at the fast food restaurants in 2003 and 4% in 2006 and 2013.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the chart’s six frequency categories and include relevant figures for all three years, so the main information is addressed. You also identify the key pattern that weekly and monthly visits account for the largest shares, and that daily visits are among the least common. However, the overview is unclear when it says these figures “both remains constant”: the weekly and monthly categories do not both remain stable. The body also confuses the once-a-week figures, stating that 31% applies to 2003 and that the category “fell down to 28% in 2013,” without clearly reporting the 33% peak in 2006. Clarify the overall shifts and distinguish the categories and years more carefully; this would make the relevant comparisons more fully developed and accurate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and a body paragraph, with time-based comparisons that help the reader follow the chart. Linking expressions such as “However,” “In addition” and “On the other hand” show an effort to connect information. However, progression within the body is difficult to follow because categories are revisited and some comparisons are attached to the wrong category. For example, the sentence beginning “In addition, 31%...” shifts from once a week to once or twice a month without a clear boundary, and “While” introduces an incomplete contrast. Use one clear sequence for the categories and make each sentence’s subject explicit. This would reduce repetition and make the connections less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “increased,” “decreased” and “remains constant,” and the reader can generally understand the intended comparisons. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or repetitive, which limits precision. Phrases such as “large amount of people,” “eating at the fast food restaurants” and “slightly grow” are not natural in this context; “number of people,” “ate at fast-food restaurants” and “rose slightly” would be more appropriate. There are also spelling errors, including “restuarants,” “slighthly” and “droped.” Aim for accurate, concise reporting verbs and check spelling, especially in repeated chart terminology, to make the description clearer and more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences with contrasts, for example, “However, 17%...” and “On the other hand...”. Nevertheless, sentence structures are often faulty, and verb forms and agreement errors sometimes make relationships between figures unclear. Examples include “how often community ... eating,” “both remains constant,” and “it increased to 20% ... and further decreased,” where the subject and verb pattern need clearer control. Several clauses also lack a finite verb, as in “31% of people eating fast food once a week.” Practise complete sentences using a clear subject, an appropriate past-tense verb, and consistent comparisons. More accurate control of these basic patterns would make your attempted complex sentences easier to understand.

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