Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 Bar chat illustrate how frequently citizen of USA are eating from a fast food chains. The data is from years 2003,2006,2013.

Overall if we see the trend of people eating out, the majority of people belong to the group who eat out once or twice a week We saw the number rose of people eating out once a week 27% to increasing nearly 33% for the year 2013.

We can also see a sudden jump of people eating once or twice a month when we compare data of 2006 and 2013 that nearly had a jump of 7-8 %.

People eating few times a year didn't had too much change in frequency in fact it stayed same for the year 2006 and 2013.

For the data of people eating every day and people eating never had the least change and least strength out of all both their chart stayed same for the 2006 and 2013.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, such as the rise in the 'once a week' category and the stability of other groups. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. You mention specific percentages, but the reporting of data is occasionally imprecise, such as describing a 'jump of 7-8%' without clearly referencing the specific years or categories involved. To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are clearly linked to the data provided and avoid vague descriptions like 'least strength'. The overview is present but could be more effectively integrated to highlight the most significant trends across the decade.

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 limited and sometimes mechanical. Phrases like 'We saw the number rose' and 'We can also see' are repetitive and do not effectively link ideas. The progression of information is somewhat disjointed, particularly in the final paragraph where multiple categories are grouped together in a way that makes the comparison difficult to follow. Improving the use of transition words (e.g., 'consequently', 'in contrast', 'furthermore') would enhance the flow between sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic verbs like 'stayed same' and 'had', which limits the sophistication of your report. There are also some errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'Bar chat' instead of 'bar chart' and 'citizen of USA' instead of 'citizens of the USA'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'remained stable', 'fluctuated', or 'experienced a significant increase'. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and adverbs will also help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'The Bar chat illustrate' (subject-verb agreement), 'didn't had' (incorrect tense formation), and 'both their chart stayed same' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage in lists and dates. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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