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 illustrates how many times people in the USA eat junk food in the restaurants from 2003 to 2013. Overall. The proportion of people eating everyday as well as those who never ate unheakth food was very low. Meanwhile, the share of people eating several times a week and a few times in a year was modestly small. In contrast the proportion of people who eat once or twice a month and once a week are significantly high.
In the USA people seem to not like junk food. While 4% of the population have never eaten fast foods, the proportion of people who ate fast foods was around 3% for the whole period. However, the proportion of people eating several times a week grew to about 17% 20% , and 16% respectively. Meanwhile, the proportion of those who ate a few times a year was around 13% in 2003 and same proportion of 15% for the rest of the period. In contrast, The country saw a dramatic growth of people who ate twice or once a month.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response provides an overview and attempts to report key features. However, the task achievement is limited by significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For example, you state that the proportion of people eating fast food was 'around 3% for the whole period,' which contradicts the provided chart data. Furthermore, the description of trends is vague, such as mentioning 'a dramatic growth' without specifying the figures or the time frame. To improve, ensure you accurately transcribe data points from the chart and provide specific comparisons between categories rather than general statements. The inclusion of '17% 20% , and 16%' is confusing and lacks clarity regarding which years these figures correspond to.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For instance, the transition 'Meanwhile' is used repeatedly, which makes the flow feel repetitive. Additionally, the sentence structure within paragraphs is sometimes disjointed, such as the abrupt transition between the overview and the body paragraph. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently,' 'in contrast,' 'furthermore') and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, logical progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You use 'junk food' and 'fast food' interchangeably, which is acceptable, but there are spelling errors such as 'unheakth' instead of 'unhealthy.' The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors like 'very low' or 'modestly small.' To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'fluctuated,' 'remained stable,' or 'accounted for,' and ensure careful proofreading to avoid simple spelling mistakes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'Overall. The proportion...' is a sentence fragment error. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, such as 'people in the USA eat' (should be 'ate' to match the past time frame) and 'the proportion of people who ate fast foods was around 3%'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization and comma usage. Focusing on basic sentence construction and ensuring consistent verb tenses will significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.