Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-06

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 8.0)

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

Overall, eating fast food once a week or once or twice a month was consistently the most common habit throughout the period, whereas eating it every day or never was relatively uncommon. In addition, there was a slight shift in preference from weekly visits in 2006 to monthly visits in 2013.

In 2003, approximately 31% of Americans ate at fast-food restaurants once a week, making this the most popular frequency, closely followed by those who visited once or twice a month at around 30%. Around 17% of people consumed fast food several times a week, while about 13% did so a few times a year. By contrast, only 4% ate fast food every day, and a similarly small proportion, roughly 5%, never visited such restaurants.

In 2006, the proportion of weekly customers rose slightly to 33%, representing the highest figure shown on the chart, whereas the percentage of those eating fast food once or twice a month declined to approximately 25%. However, this pattern was reversed by 2013, when monthly visits increased markedly to about 33%, overtaking weekly consumption, which fell to around 28%. Meanwhile, the percentages for people eating fast food several times a week and a few times a year remained fairly stable at approximately 15–16%, while the figures for daily and never eating fast food stayed consistently low at around 3–5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response is excellent. You have clearly identified the main features and trends, such as the shift in preference from weekly to monthly visits between 2006 and 2013. The data is accurately selected and presented, with appropriate comparisons made between the different categories and years. You have successfully highlighted the stability of the 'daily' and 'never' categories, which adds depth to your analysis. All parts of the task are fully addressed, and the overview provides a clear summary of the key findings without simply listing data points.

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 data points for 2003, and then a comparative analysis for 2006 and 2013. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'in addition', 'by contrast', and 'meanwhile' are used effectively to link sentences and clauses. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the information flows smoothly, making the report very easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a wide and flexible range of vocabulary, which is used with precision. Phrases such as 'consistently the most common habit', 'shift in preference', and 'overtaking weekly consumption' show a sophisticated command of language. The use of reporting verbs and comparative structures is natural and accurate. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and the vocabulary is well-suited to the academic nature of the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The writing displays a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences with subordinate clauses and varied sentence beginnings. The control over grammar and punctuation is excellent, with the majority of sentences being error-free. The use of tense is consistent and appropriate for describing historical data. There are no significant grammatical slips, and the sentence construction is both varied and accurate throughout the entire response.

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