Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-01

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 6.5)

The bar graph illustrates the frequency with which people in the USA ate at fast food restaurants in 2003, 2006 and 2013.

Overall, the proportions of people who ate once or twice a month at restaurants in 2013 and once a week in 2006 were by far highest, while the figures were lower for people who ate everyday and those who never did so in all three years. The proportions varied across the six frequency categories in all the years.

People were less frequent for eating everyday at restaurants, with the proportion of less than 5% in all years, while the year 2003 experienced higher frequency at 4% than other two years. The proportions of people who ate several times a week at restaurants were approximately 17%, 20% and 16% in 2003, 2006 and 2013, respectively, whereas the figures stood at approximately 31%, 33% and 28% in the years 2003, 2006 and 2013, respectively, for the people who ate once a week at restaurants.

The category of people eating once or twice a month at restaurants experienced the proportions of around 30% in 2003, 25% in 2006 and 33% in 2013. The people who ate fast food a few times a year had the same figures, 15% in 2006 and 2013, while the year 2003 had the percentage of approximately 13%. The frequency of eating never at restaurants lower with the proportion of 4% in 2006 and 2013, whereas it was 5% in the year 2003.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task and provides a clear overview of the main trends. You have successfully selected and reported key features, such as the dominance of the 'once or twice a month' and 'once a week' categories. However, the overview is slightly cluttered; it would be more effective to highlight the most significant trends (e.g., the stability of the 'everyday' category versus the fluctuations in others) rather than listing specific data points in the summary. The comparisons are generally accurate, though some descriptions of the data could be more precise to better reflect the visual information provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group data by frequency categories. You use cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'while', and 'respectively' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the progression within paragraphs could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the 'everyday' category and the 'several times a week' category is a bit abrupt. Using more varied linking phrases would improve the flow and help the reader follow the comparisons more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportions', 'frequency', and 'categories' appropriately. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'People were less frequent for eating everyday', which is unnatural. A more precise phrasing would be 'The frequency of eating at restaurants every day was low'. While you attempt to use varied vocabulary, some phrasing is repetitive, particularly the reliance on 'the proportions of' and 'the figures stood at'. Expanding your range of reporting verbs and nouns would enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of 'whereas' and 'while' to create compound-complex sentences. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'the year 2003 experienced higher frequency at 4% than other two years' (missing 'the') and 'The frequency of eating never at restaurants lower' (missing a verb like 'was'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the response. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and consistent use of articles, as well as refining the structure of comparative clauses.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.