Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-07

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 5.0)

The chart show me the percentage of people in the USA ate fast food in restaurants between 2003 and 2013.

Firstly I want to talk about those people who ate fast food in every day, several times a week and once a week in 2003, 2006 and 2013 the percentage of people who ate fast food every day is less than 5% and in 2006 the people who ate fast food several times a week is 20% and in 2003 and 2013 is less 20% people ate fast food. Those people who ate fast food once a week in 2006 the percentage of those people is round about 33% and in 2003 is 31% and in 2013 is less than 30%.

Secondly, The percentage of those people who ate fast food once or twice a month in 2003 the 30% and in 2006 the 25% and in 2013 the less than 35% people ate fast food and those people who ate food a few times a year in 2006 and 2013 the percentage of those people is 15% and in 2003 is less than 15% and in 2003 those people who never ate fast food is 5% and in 2006 and 2013 is less than 5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the task by identifying the main features of the chart. However, the reporting of data is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview or summary of the trends. While you have selected relevant data points, the presentation is repetitive and lacks analytical comparison. To improve, you should group the data more effectively—for example, by identifying categories that increased versus those that decreased—and provide a clear introductory overview that highlights the most significant trends across the decade. The current approach of listing figures year by year makes it difficult for the reader to grasp the overall picture.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and often repetitive (e.g., 'in 2003', 'in 2006', 'in 2013'). The transition between sentences is often abrupt, and the referencing is sometimes unclear, making the text feel like a list of facts rather than a cohesive report. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to show relationships between the data points, such as 'in contrast', 'meanwhile', or 'subsequently', and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. You rely heavily on phrases like 'the percentage of those people who ate' and 'in 2003/2006/2013'. There is little attempt to use a range of vocabulary to describe trends or data, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'a significant proportion'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of lexical variety limits the score. To improve, try to incorporate more precise terminology for describing statistics and trends, and avoid repeating the same sentence structures throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'The chart show me' (should be 'shows'), 'ate fast food in every day' (should be 'every day'), and 'less 20%' (should be 'less than 20%'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and capital letters. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and practice combining simple sentences into more complex structures using relative clauses or subordinating conjunctions.

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