Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-09

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 6.0)

The pie chart illustrates the proportions of people in the USA who ate junk food in restaurants between 2003 and 2013. Overall, people who ate junk food daily were very few just like those who never ate in fast food restaurants. People who ate once a week and those who once or twice a month were dominating the table. In 2003, there was approximately less than 5% people who ate fast food daily which showed a little fall in 2006 and remained same by 2013. People who ate junk food several times a week were accounted for above than 15% which rose to 20% by 2006 and fell upto almost 15% in 2013. The proportion of people who ate junk food once a week were slightly above than 30% in number which reached the highest point which is below than 35% and it showed a gradual decline by 2013 and reached below 30%. People who ate fast food once or twice a month accounted for 30% in 2003 which fell upto 25% by 2006 and again showed a gradual rise and reached again the highest point. Similarly, people who ate it a few times a year were above than 10% in 2003 which rose upto 15% by 2006 and stayed constant in 2013. The proportion of people who never ate fast food in restaurants accounted for just 5% in 2003 which slightly fell in 2006 and remained unchanged by 2013.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all key features of the data and provides a clear overview. You successfully identified the main trends and made relevant comparisons between the categories. However, the report could be improved by grouping the data more effectively rather than listing each category chronologically. For instance, you could have contrasted the categories that showed growth against those that declined. While you included data points, some descriptions are slightly imprecise (e.g., 'above than 15%'). Overall, you have addressed the requirements of the task well, providing a clear summary of the provided information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Similarly' and 'In 2003' to guide the reader through the data. However, the paragraphing is somewhat unbalanced; the second body paragraph is quite dense. Additionally, some transitions are slightly mechanical. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus, such as grouping categories by their trend (e.g., those that increased versus those that decreased) rather than just listing them one by one. This would enhance the flow and logical progression of your analysis.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportions,' 'gradual decline,' and 'remained constant.' However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'dominating the table' (which is not standard for a chart) and 'above than 15%.' The phrase 'junk food' is used repeatedly; while acceptable, using synonyms like 'fast food consumption' or 'dining habits' would show more flexibility. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoiding redundant phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with prepositions and comparative structures, such as 'above than 15%' (should be 'above 15%') and 'fell upto almost 15%' (should be 'fell to almost 15%'). Additionally, there are minor errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'approximately less than 5% people' (should be 'approximately 5% of people'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on refining your use of prepositions and comparative adjectives.

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

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