Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-08

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 chart gives information about how frequently people eat fast food at fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013.

Overall, the information shown in the graph is in three parts: the first one is about 2003, the second one is about 2006, and the last one is about 2013. In 2003, 4% of people used to eat fast food, while several times a week 17% of people had outside eating several times a week, and 30%-32% of people used to have it once a week or twice a month. 13% of people have had fast food a few times in years and only 5% of people never eat outside at restaurants. In 2006, 33% of people had eaten once a week, and less than that, is 25 % of people, have trice in months. And less than 17% of people have eaten several times, a few times a year, and daily. 4% of people never ate at the hotel from 2006 to 2013. In 2013, the number of people are more than any other years who eat once in week as well as trice in the month at hotel. That also shows a similar number several time in week and a few time in year,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the task by summarizing the main features of the chart. However, the analysis is inconsistent and lacks a clear overview of the trends. While you mention the three years, you fail to synthesize the data effectively, instead listing figures in a way that feels like a raw data dump. The comparison between categories is weak, and the conclusion is incomplete, trailing off at the end. To improve, focus on grouping similar trends (e.g., categories that increased versus those that decreased) and ensure you provide a clear, concise summary of the most significant changes across the decade rather than just describing each year in isolation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive (e.g., 'the first one is', 'the second one is'). The transition between sentences is often abrupt, making the text feel like a list of facts rather than a cohesive report. Furthermore, the final sentence is incomplete, which disrupts the flow of the entire response. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words such as 'in contrast', 'subsequently', or 'while', and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that guides the reader through the data.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. You frequently use 'people' and 'eat', which restricts the range of your writing. There are also errors in word choice, such as referring to fast-food restaurants as 'hotels', which is inaccurate and confusing. Phrases like 'less than that, is 25% of people' are awkward and demonstrate a lack of precision. To reach a higher band, try to use more varied synonyms for 'eat' (e.g., 'consume', 'dine') and more precise terminology for describing statistical trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'experienced a significant increase'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include incorrect verb tenses (e.g., 'people have had fast food' vs 'people ate'), subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'the number of people are'), and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'trice in months'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and the incomplete final sentence. To improve, focus on maintaining consistent tense usage when describing past data and proofread to ensure that every sentence has a clear subject and verb that agree.

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

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