Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-11
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 graph illustrates data how frequently individuals in the United States of America ate in fast food restaurants during period from 2003 to 2013.
Overall, it can be clearly seen that people eating once a week and once or twice a week sets at highest among all the categories, while persons who ate everyday and who never went for the eating are lowest, additionally persons who went for several times a week and a few times a year stays between highest and lowest.
Individuals who ate once a week had almost similar during time period of 2003 and 2006 in proportion of around 32% and 33% respectively, while persons who ate everyday was the below around 4% every time. persons who ate a few times a year is always lower than 15% every time whereas individuals never visited restaurants are significantly lower in percentages and never cross 5% overall.
People who visit restaurant several times a week during year of 2006 had highest at around 20% which decreased in 2013 at around 16%, On the year of 2003 recorded at around 13% says between both at approximately 17%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the chart, identifying the most and least frequent categories. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention the percentages for 'once a week' and 'everyday', the description of the trends is occasionally confusing, such as the final paragraph which lacks clarity regarding the data points for 'several times a week'. To improve, ensure that comparisons are more precise and that the data is grouped logically rather than listing individual figures. The overview is present but could be more effectively synthesised to highlight the most significant shifts over the decade.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the flow between sentences is often mechanical. Phrases like 'On the year of 2003 recorded at around 13% says between both' are difficult to follow due to awkward phrasing and a lack of clear cohesive devices. While you use some linking words like 'while' and 'whereas', the logical progression within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by grammatical errors. Improving the use of transition signals and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey the basic meaning. You use terms like 'proportion', 'categories', and 'significantly', which are appropriate for a report. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'sets at highest' instead of 'was the highest' and 'never went for the eating' instead of 'never ate at fast food restaurants'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive or unnatural phrasing. Expanding your range of reporting verbs and nouns related to data trends would also be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'persons who ate everyday... stays') and preposition usage (e.g., 'during year of 2006'). Additionally, some sentences are fragmented or lack necessary articles, such as 'was the below around 4%'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical consistency, particularly with verb tenses and pluralisation, to improve your overall accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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