Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-24
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 chart below illustrates how frequently people in the USA ate in fast food restaurants between 20023 and 2013.
Overall, rise and fall happened throughout the period. In 2006 and 2013, it reaches the highest percentage of people eating fast food. While 2003 is the least one of all the time.
The everyday period level off among all the years with 0.5%. Several times a week was 20% in 2003 and approximately 17% for both 2006 and 2013. Once a week is the time in which the people eat fast food around 31% in 2003, 33% in 2006 and 28% in 2013 respectively. Once or twice a year is also among the highest percentages with 30% in 2003, 25% in 2006 and 37% in 2013, which is the peak percentage for 2013 throughout the period. A few times a year shows 117% for 2003 and 15% for both 2006 and 2013. Lastly, people who never eat fast food is almost 4.5% for all the years.
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 addresses the task by identifying key trends and data points. However, there are significant issues with data accuracy. For example, you stated 'A few times a year shows 117% for 2003', which is mathematically impossible and likely a typo for 17%. Additionally, the overview is somewhat vague, stating 'rise and fall happened' without specifying which categories showed these trends. To improve, ensure you carefully transcribe data from the chart and provide a more analytical summary that highlights the most significant changes or contrasts between the years provided.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For instance, the transition 'Lastly' is used, but the flow between sentences within the body paragraph is sometimes disjointed. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall progression of ideas could be improved by using more sophisticated linking words to connect the trends rather than simply listing the data points for each category.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision. You rely on basic descriptors like 'highest' and 'peak'. There are also errors in word choice and numerical representation, such as the '117%' error mentioned previously. While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, the overall control is limited. To reach a higher band, focus on using more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and ensure that your data reporting is accurate to avoid confusing the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity, such as '2003 is the least one of all the time' and 'people who never eat fast food is almost 4.5%'. Subject-verb agreement is inconsistent throughout the text. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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