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 bar graphs compared how often people in the USA ate fast food in restaurants between 2003 and 2013.

Overall, it can be noted that in 2006 and 2013, people can consumed fast food once a week and once or twice a month, which was the highest proportion for both years. However, the lowest percentage of eating at fast food restaurants had everyday.

In 2003, below 5% of people ate fast food everyday, which was the lowest percentage for the all time. Also, for everyday eating fast food in 2006 and 2013 was similar, which was below 5%. Moreover, people can ate several times a week in restaurants which had between 15% to 20% for all years. In 2003 and 2006, above 30% of people can ate fast food once a week, while in 2013 it had around 27%.

Furthermore, people can goes to the restaurants once or twice a month in 2003 had 30%, in 2006 had roughly 38%, and in 2013 had also 38%. Below 15% of people goes to restaurants a few times a year in 2003, whereas in 2006 and 2013, remained same percentage which was 15%. Many people never go to the restaurants which had below 5% for the all years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart and makes relevant comparisons. You successfully identified the highest and lowest categories across the years. However, the report lacks a clear, concise overview of the trends. While you mention some data points, the analysis is slightly mechanical, listing figures rather than synthesizing the information. To improve, ensure you group data logically—for instance, highlighting that 'once or twice a month' and 'once a week' were consistently the most popular frequencies, while 'everyday' and 'never' remained the least popular. The summary is sufficient but could be more analytical to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each focusing on specific aspects of the data. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'However', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by repetitive sentence structures and some awkward phrasing, such as 'which was the highest proportion for both years.' The referencing is generally clear, but the progression of ideas could be smoother. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that each sentence flows naturally into the next rather than feeling like a list of separate observations.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey the necessary information about percentages and frequencies. You use terms like 'proportion', 'percentage', and 'restaurants' correctly. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive. There are instances where word choice is slightly unnatural, such as 'for the all time' or 'remained same percentage'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'accounted for', and avoid repeating the same sentence structures when describing the data points.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, particularly with verb tenses and subject-verb agreement. Examples include 'people can consumed', 'people can ate', and 'people can goes'. These errors are persistent throughout the text. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of control over basic grammatical rules prevents a higher score. Focus on ensuring consistent tense usage (e.g., using the past tense for data from 2003–2013) and correcting subject-verb agreement to improve accuracy.

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