Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The given horizontal column graph depicts the information about how frequently masses in the United States of America ate in fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013. The data has been calibrated into percentage.

Overall, it is crystal clear that highest frequency of eating at restaurants were in once a week while the least percentile of eating fast food was on everyday.

At the fleeting glance, on every day around 4% of fast food consumed in year 2003 while the ratio was similar in 2006 and 2013. Whereas, the largest proportion of eating fast food in several times a week was in year 2006 of 20% which was followed by 16% in 2013 while 17% was in year 2003 respectively. Surprisingly, the largest proportion of fast food was consumed on once a week which was 32% in year 2003 which gradually rises to 34% in another year and decline to 26% in 2013.

Moving further, percentile of eating at fast food restaurants once or twice a month was 30 percent in 2003 which slowly decline to 25% after three years. Moreover, in few times a year consumption of fast food remain similar in years 2006 and 2013 which was 15% respectively and in year 2003 it was considerably lower ratio of 14%. Lastly, in never the ratio was same in year 2006 and 2013 which was 4% while 5 percent in year 2003.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task and provides a clear overview of the main trends. You successfully identified the most frequent and least frequent categories. However, the reporting of data is occasionally inaccurate or confusing. For example, you state that the proportion for 'once a week' rose to 34% in 'another year' (presumably 2006) and then declined to 26% in 2013, which aligns with the chart, but the phrasing 'in another year' is vague. Additionally, some comparisons are slightly disjointed. To improve, ensure that data points are linked more clearly to their specific years and categories to avoid ambiguity.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Whereas', 'Moving further', and 'Lastly' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'At the fleeting glance' (which should be 'At a fleeting glance' or 'At a glance') and the repetitive use of 'in year 2003' or 'in year 2006'. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the flow could be improved by varying the sentence structure and reducing the reliance on repetitive temporal markers.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'calibrated', 'proportion', and 'depicts'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward phrasing, such as 'masses' (which is not appropriate in this context; 'people' or 'individuals' is better), 'least percentile' (should be 'lowest percentage'), and 'ratio was similar' (when referring to percentages). There are also some minor errors in collocation, such as 'gradually rises' (should be 'gradually rose' to maintain tense consistency). Expanding your range of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Issues include tense inconsistency (e.g., 'remains' vs 'remained'), incorrect use of articles (e.g., 'in year 2003' instead of 'in 2003'), and preposition errors (e.g., 'consumed on once a week'). Some sentences are also slightly ungrammatical, such as 'in few times a year consumption of fast food remain similar'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will improve your accuracy.

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

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