Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

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.

At a fleeting glance,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.

Moving further,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 6.5

The response effectively covers all parts of the task. You have identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. The selection of data points to support your descriptions is accurate, and you have made relevant comparisons between the years, such as noting the reversal in popularity between 'once a week' and 'once or twice a month' by 2013. The information is well-summarised, and the key features are highlighted without unnecessary detail, meeting the requirements for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. You have used a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'whereas', 'in addition', 'however', and 'meanwhile', which help to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. The transition between the different categories is smooth, and the referencing is clear throughout the text, ensuring that the information is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information precisely. Phrases like 'marginally', 'consistently rare', and 'pattern reversed' demonstrate a good level of lexical control. While the vocabulary is accurate and appropriate for an academic report, there is room to incorporate more sophisticated or varied synonyms to reach the highest band. The word choices are natural and contribute to the overall clarity of the report without any noticeable errors in collocation or spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response displays a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as the use of subordinate clauses ('while the monthly category fell...') and participial phrases. The grammar is generally accurate, with the majority of sentences being error-free. There are very few minor slips, such as the missing spaces after commas in 'At a fleeting glance,in' and 'Moving further,the', but these are non-systematic and do not impede communication. Your control over tense and punctuation is strong throughout the piece.

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

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