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 illustrates the information about how much junk food ate by the individuals in united states of America from 2003 to 2013.

Overall, the fast food eaten by people once a week and once or twice a month both were noted highest. Every day and never taking unhealthy food shown lowest. whereas frequency of eating fast food in several times a week and a few times a year both were almost similar between 2003, 2006 and 2013.

Every day and never ate junk food both had below than 5% in given years. people who ate food in once a week recorded 30% above in 2003 and 2006 however, in 2013 described between 25% to 30%.

Once or twice a month accounted fluctuated by 25% to 30% and above. Although, eating food a few times a year declined between 10% to 15% approximately. Several times a week recorded 15% above which were higher than a few times a year eating fast food.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a clear overview of the main trends, identifying the most and least frequent categories. However, the reporting of data is inconsistent and lacks precision. For example, stating '30% above' or 'between 25% to 30%' is vague and does not accurately reflect the specific data points on the chart. While the main features are selected, the lack of accurate data reporting prevents a higher score. The response would benefit from more careful reading of the graph's axes and specific values to support the general trends described.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For instance, the use of 'whereas' in the second paragraph is grammatically awkward, and the transition 'Although' at the start of the final sentence is used incorrectly as it does not introduce a contrasting clause. Referencing is sometimes unclear, making the flow between sentences feel slightly disjointed. Improved control over linking words would enhance the overall progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'how much junk food ate by the individuals' (passive voice error) and 'never taking unhealthy food shown lowest'. The term 'junk food' is used repeatedly, and there is a lack of sophisticated collocations or synonyms to describe the trends (e.g., 'accounted fluctuated' is incorrect usage). To improve, focus on using more precise verbs and nouns related to data description, such as 'remained stable', 'witnessed a decline', or 'proportion'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures, and there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'how much junk food ate by the individuals' (missing auxiliary verb), 'Every day and never taking unhealthy food shown lowest' (subject-verb agreement and tense issues), and 'below than 5%' (incorrect comparative structure). While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction and verb forms limits the score. Incorporating more complex structures with greater accuracy is necessary for a higher band.

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

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