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 graph illustrates the frequency of eating at fast food restaurants among people in USA for a decade starting from 2003 to 2013 it is divided in 6 components everyday , several times a week , once a week , a few times a year and lastly never.

In 2003 once a week was the highest with around 32% and the lowest was everyday with 4% then comes never with 5% followed by a few times a year with 12% and lastly comes the once or twice a month with the second highest one on 30%

In 2006 the lowest was for everyday with 3% and the highest was of once a week which was 33% then it was once or twice a month with 25% then decreased by 5% several times a week is 20% then again with the decrease of 5% comes a few times a year which was 15%

In 2013 the lowest was the same as 2006 for everyday with 3% and the highest was once or twice a month 33% then once a week was 27% and then several times a week was 16% and lastly a few times a year was 15%

In conclusion frequency of people choosing to eat fast food was once or twice a month and once a week and the least is for every day and never in the overall bar chart

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the data, but the analysis is somewhat mechanical. You have identified the highest and lowest points for the years provided, which is good. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the trends. The conclusion is essentially a repetition of data points rather than a synthesis of the most significant trends. To improve, ensure you group data logically rather than listing figures year by year, and provide a clear, analytical overview in the introduction or conclusion that highlights the most striking changes over the decade.

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 very limited and repetitive. You rely heavily on 'then' and 'and' to connect ideas, which makes the flow feel mechanical. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words or phrases to show contrast or progression (e.g., 'in contrast', 'subsequently', 'while'). The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the transition between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall logical flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You repeat phrases like 'the lowest was' and 'the highest was' multiple times, which limits your score. There is little attempt to use more precise or varied vocabulary to describe trends (e.g., 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', 'witnessed a decline'). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety in word choice and the repetitive nature of the descriptions prevent a higher score. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and adjectives would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex structures, but there are frequent errors in punctuation and sentence construction. For example, the first paragraph is a run-on sentence lacking proper punctuation. There are also issues with missing articles (e.g., 'in USA') and inconsistent verb tense usage when describing past data. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the clarity and professional tone of the report. Focusing on sentence boundaries and basic grammatical accuracy is essential.

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

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