Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-16
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 line graph illustrates the information regarding the proportion of how frequently individuals in the USA ate in fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013.
At the first glance,it is evident that the proportion the people who eating at fast food restaurants in USA in every day in 2003 was around 4 , 2006 was 3 and 2013 was 3, respectively. Moreover, several times a week individuals ate fast food in USA restaurants in 2003 was nearly 17 %, in 2006 it increased and the value reach at 20% . In 2013 it decreased and the value touch at 16 %. Further, the percentage of people who are fast food in USA restaurants in once a week in 2003 was 31. In the second given year it incline remarkably and the value seen at approximately 33% , in 2013 it gradually decreased, the value show at roughly 27%.
Moving towards the rest of the information, it is apparent that, in the initial year the percentum of individuals who ate fast food in USA restaurants in once or twice a month in 2003 was 30 and in the last given year it increased sharply and value accounted at 32. A few times a year individuals ate fast food in USA restaurants in 2003 was around 13 and in 2013 a tedious increase can be noticed and value accounted at 15. The percentage of people who ate fast food in USA restaurants never in 2003 was 5 and in 2013 it was decreased at roughly 3.
Overall, it is clearly seen that a significant proportion of people who are fast food in USA restaurants in once or twice a week, whilst the leat percentum was seen in every day.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all categories shown in the graph and identifies key trends. However, the reporting of data is often inaccurate or confusing. For example, stating 'the proportion the people who eating at fast food restaurants... was around 4' lacks units (percentages) and clarity. The overview is present but could be more analytical; it simply lists categories rather than highlighting the most significant shifts over the decade. To improve, ensure that data points are clearly linked to the correct years and categories, and focus on comparing the overall trends rather than just listing individual figures for every category.
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 often mechanical or awkward, such as 'Moving towards the rest of the information' and 'in the second given year'. There are also issues with referencing; for instance, 'the value seen at approximately 33%' is grammatically incomplete and makes the flow of information disjointed. While there is a logical progression from one category to the next, the lack of precise linking words and the repetitive sentence structure hinder the overall coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, with frequent use of 'value accounted at' and 'individuals ate fast food in USA restaurants'. There are also non-standard word choices such as 'percentum' (instead of percentage) and 'tedious increase' (which is not appropriate in this context). The student attempts to use some descriptive verbs like 'incline' and 'decreased', but the collocations are often incorrect, such as 'value touch at'. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using a wider variety of reporting verbs and nouns, and ensure that terminology is used accurately and naturally.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement ('the proportion the people who eating'), missing articles, and awkward sentence construction ('the value show at roughly 27%'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and periods. While the student attempts some complex sentence structures, they are often marred by errors, such as 'the percentage of people who are fast food in USA restaurants in once a week'. A focus on basic sentence structure and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve the quality of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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