Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-04

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 7.5)

The bar chart compares how often people in the USA ate at fast-food restaurants in 2003, 2006 and 2013.

Overall, the most common habits in all three years were eating fast food either once a week or once or twice a month, whereas eating it every day or never was consistently rare. In addition, the figures for the mid-range categories changed slightly over time, but there was no dramatic overall shift.

In 2003, around 31% of Americans ate fast food once a week, and a similar proportion, at about 30%, did so once or twice a month. By 2006, weekly consumption rose marginally to just over 32%, making it the highest figure on the chart, while the monthly category fell to roughly 25%. In 2013, however, the pattern reversed, with once or twice a month becoming the most common frequency at just above 32%, compared with about 28% for once a week.

The less frequent categories remained relatively stable. The share of people eating fast food several times a week increased from about 17% in 2003 to 20% in 2006, before declining to around 16% in 2013. Meanwhile, those who ate fast food a few times a year stayed at roughly 12–15%, and only about 3–4% of people ate it every day or never.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response is excellent. You have successfully identified the main features of the chart and provided a clear overview of the trends. You have selected relevant data points to support your descriptions, such as the specific percentages for weekly and monthly consumption in 2003, 2006, and 2013. The comparisons are accurate and well-integrated, particularly the observation regarding the reversal of the most common frequency between 2006 and 2013. You have fully addressed all parts of the task, providing a comprehensive summary that highlights both the stable and changing categories effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from an overview to specific details about the most frequent habits, and finally to the less frequent categories. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'in addition', 'however', and 'meanwhile' are used naturally and effectively to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis, and referencing is clear throughout the text. The flow of information is smooth and professional.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a wide and precise range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response. Phrases like 'marginal rise', 'pattern reversed', and 'remained relatively stable' show a high level of control and sophistication. You avoid repetition by using varied terminology to describe trends and frequencies. The word choices are accurate and contribute to the clarity of the report. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and the language used is natural and appropriate for a formal report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response exhibits a wide range of grammatical structures with high accuracy. You effectively use complex sentences, such as 'In 2003, around 31% of Americans ate fast food once a week, and a similar proportion, at about 30%, did so once or twice a month.' Punctuation is used correctly to manage clauses and lists. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the text. The writing is fluent and demonstrates a high level of grammatical competence.

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