Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-28

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 rate of fast food eaten by people in USA between 2003 and 2013 . Overall , the most prominent feature of chart is once a week .

Now turning to details, people who ate once a week is higher in 2006 which is almost 33 percent . Moreover in 2003 it is almost equal to it . In contrast , people who ate once or twice a month is higher in 2013 and lower in 2003 . Further more people who ate everyday and people who ate never fast food are almost equal but little difference in percentage. People who eat few times a year have equal ratio in 2006 and 2013 . While its percentage in 2003 is approximately 13 percent . People who ate several times a week had highest percentage in 2006 which is exact 20 percent . While in 2003 and 2013 it have almost difference of 2 percent .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the task by summarizing the main features of the chart. However, the overview is weak; it identifies 'once a week' as the prominent feature but fails to provide a broader summary of the trends or significant changes over the decade. The reporting of data is somewhat mechanical, listing percentages without sufficient synthesis or meaningful comparison. While the main features are touched upon, the lack of a clear, analytical overview and the tendency to simply list figures rather than grouping them logically limits the score. To improve, focus on identifying clear trends (e.g., which categories increased or decreased) and grouping data points to tell a coherent story rather than describing each category in isolation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into two short paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and limited use of cohesive devices. While some linking words like 'Moreover', 'In contrast', and 'Further more' are used, they are often applied mechanically. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'it is almost equal to it', where the antecedent is ambiguous. Paragraphing is present, but the body paragraph lacks a clear internal structure, making the information feel like a list of observations rather than a cohesive report. Improving the use of referencing and varying transition signals would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'higher in', 'lower in', and 'almost equal' are used repeatedly, which limits the range. There are also some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'rate of fast food eaten' (should be 'frequency of fast food consumption') and 'equal ratio' (ratio is not the correct term for percentages). To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise vocabulary related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', 'peaked', or 'a significant proportion'. Expanding your range of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' will also help.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. While there are attempts at complex sentences, they are often grammatically flawed, such as 'people who ate once a week is higher' (subject-verb agreement error: 'people' is plural). There are frequent errors in articles and prepositions, for example, 'in USA' (should be 'in the USA') and 'never fast food' (should be 'never ate fast food'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and using a wider variety of complex sentence structures, ensuring that your grammar remains accurate even when constructing more sophisticated sentences.

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

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