Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-17

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 7.0)

The bar graph illustrates information about how individual often ate fast food in restaurants in USA between 2003 and 2013.

Overall, it is evident that the figures fluctuated considerably over the three-year period, with no consistent upward or downward trend. However, once a week recorded the highest figure in 2006, whereas daily had the lowest figure in 2006 and 2013.

Looking first at the people who ate fast food every day, the figure remained relatively low throughout the period, although it fluctuated slightly. In 2003, approximately 4% of Americans ate fast food every day, before falling to around 3% in 2006 and then rising again to about 4% in 2013. Similarly, the proportion of people who ate fast food several times a week decreased from roughly 17% in 2003 to 13% in 2006, before increasing slightly to around 16% in 2013.

Turning to the remaining categories, eating fast food once a week was the most common frequency in all three years. The proportion stood at approximately 31% in 2003, before falling slightly to 30% in 2006 and then rising to around 33% in 2013. Meanwhile, the percentage of people who ate fast food 1–3 times a month increased from about 24% in 2003 to 25% in 2006, before declining slightly to 23% in 2013. Those who ate fast food a few times a year accounted for roughly 13%, 15%, and 15% in the three years respectively, while the figure for people who never ate fast food remained comparatively low, at around 4–5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response effectively addresses the task by identifying the main features and providing relevant comparisons. You have clearly highlighted the most frequent category ('once a week') and contrasted it with the least frequent ones. The data is accurately reported, and the overview provides a good summary of the trends. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview is more precise; for example, instead of stating there was 'no consistent upward or downward trend,' you could note that while most categories fluctuated, 'once a week' remained the dominant frequency throughout the period. Overall, the information is well-selected and supports the main points effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from the overview to specific categories. Cohesive devices such as 'Looking first at,' 'Similarly,' and 'Turning to' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is appropriate, and referencing is clear. The flow is smooth, and the relationship between the different data points is well-managed. To improve further, ensure that the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is slightly more integrated to enhance the overall cohesion of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data, including terms like 'fluctuated,' 'proportion,' 'accounted for,' and 'remained relatively low.' The word choice is generally precise and appropriate for an academic report. There are no significant spelling errors, and the vocabulary is used naturally. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'figure' or 'percentage' (e.g., 'proportion,' 'share,' 'rate') and use more sophisticated collocations to describe the trends, such as 'marginal increase' or 'pronounced decline' to add more nuance to your descriptions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response demonstrates a good control of grammatical structures. You have successfully used a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'In 2003, approximately 4% of Americans ate fast food every day, before falling to around 3% in 2006.' Punctuation is generally accurate, and the majority of sentences are error-free. There is a minor error in the opening sentence ('how individual often ate' should be 'how often individuals ate'). However, these slips are rare and do not impede communication. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the report.

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