Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-29

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 chart illustrates how often people from USA visit restaurants that serve fast food in the decade of 2003 to 2013. Looking at the overall perspective, the individuals are very cautious about their health, as most of the people visit once a week or once or twice a month. Also the frequency of visitors is fewer for individuals eating fast food on daily basis or never visit the place.

In USA the frequency of visitors was constant throughout the decade. Only 3-5% of people usually visits the fast food hotels, which saw a significant rise of About 15-20% in the categories of people consuming fast food several times a week. Moreover, people having processed food once a week has increased to 31%, 33% and 27% for the years 2003,2006 and 2013 respectively. Individuals consuming junk food once or twice a month showed similar trends with 30% in 2003, 25% in 2006 and 33% in 2013.

Further, the percentage fell dramatically for a few times a year of about 13% in 2003 and 15% for 2006 and till the end. Whereas, People never having fast food were fewer about 5% in 2003 and 4% for the remaining years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the chart and provided a clear overview. However, the analysis of the data is inconsistent. For instance, you mention that the frequency of visitors was 'constant,' which contradicts the significant fluctuations shown in the data. Furthermore, some of your data reporting is inaccurate; for example, you state that the 'once a week' category increased to 31%, 33%, and 27% for 2003, 2006, and 2013, but the chart shows these figures for 'once or twice a month.' Precision in data reporting is essential for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Moreover' and 'Further,' to link your points. However, the use of referencing is sometimes unclear, and the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. The overall structure is coherent, but the mechanical nature of some transitions prevents it from reaching a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates,' 'significant rise,' and 'dramatically.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as referring to fast food restaurants as 'fast food hotels,' which is not appropriate in this context. Additionally, the term 'processed food' is used interchangeably with 'junk food,' which may not be entirely accurate based on the chart's labels. Expanding your range of precise, topic-specific vocabulary would improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the individuals are very cautious' (which is an interpretation rather than a factual report), 'usually visits' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'fewer about 5%.' Punctuation errors, such as missing spaces after commas (e.g., '2003,2006'), also occur. These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to limit your score.

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

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