Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-13

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 5.0)

The bar chart compare the proportion of the population in US who intake fast foods in retaurants between 2003 to 2013.

Overall, the consuming of fast food in once a week and one or two times a month contributed the highes proportion while everday and non consuming fast food people was showed the lowest proportion over the period.

In 2003, the individuals who consumes fast foods regular was showed under 5%, which showed declined in 2006 and 2013. By contrast, the people who intake sometimes a weak indicated just above to 15% in 2003 which rose sharply at 20% before its declined, while the figure for once a week was contributed the largest porportion

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While you have attempted to identify some main features, the analysis is incomplete and lacks detail. You have not covered all the categories shown in the chart, and the description of the data is fragmented. To improve, ensure you provide a comprehensive overview and support your points with accurate data from the chart. Because the response is 36 words under the limit, it is penalised for failing to address the task requirements fully.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression is hindered by the lack of sufficient content and some awkward phrasing. Cohesive devices are used in a very mechanical way, such as 'In 2003' and 'By contrast', but they do not always connect ideas smoothly. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the trends you are describing. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. There are several errors in word choice and form, such as 'intake' used as a verb for eating, 'consuming' used as a noun, and 'retaurants' (spelling error). You rely on basic descriptors like 'highest' and 'lowest' without attempting to use more precise academic vocabulary to describe trends or proportions. To reach a higher band, you should work on using more varied and accurate terminology related to data analysis, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'accounted for'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede communication. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('the bar chart compare', 'individuals who consumes'), incorrect verb forms ('was showed'), and preposition errors ('at 20%'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice, which is essential for describing charts and graphs in Academic Task 1.

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.