Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-02

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 7.0)

The bar chart compares the frequency of eating at fast food restaurants from 2003 to 2013 in the United States.

Overall, the majority of the US citizens preferred eating at fast food restaurants either once a week or once or twice a month in all three years. By contrast, the number was relatively low for people eating everyday and never throughout the given time period.

In 2003, the highest proportion of people, at about 31% ate once a week, followed closely by people eating one or twice a month at 30%. Approximately 17% of the Americans eat at fast food restaurants several time a week, while about 13% of them ate only a few times a year. Meanwhile, people who never ate and everyday visitors accounted for 5% and 4% respectively.

In 2006, people who ate at such restaurants once a week increased to around 33%, whereas the proportion eating once or twice a month decreased sharply to 25%. Additionally, the figures went up for people eating several times a week and a few times a year to 20% and 15% respectively. However, the portion of everyday eaters and people who never ate at fast food restaurants fell to 3% and 4% respectively.

By 2013, the trend shifted to the people eating once or twice a month being the highest percentage at 33%, followed by people eating once a week at 28%. The other categories experienced mild change, whereas the percentage of people eating everyday and never remained largely unchanged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response effectively covers the requirements of the task by identifying the main features and trends across the three years. You have successfully selected relevant data points to support your summary and made clear comparisons between the categories. The overview is concise and highlights the most significant trends, such as the dominance of the 'once a week' and 'once or twice a month' categories. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are described with complete accuracy; for instance, in the 2003 paragraph, you mention 'several time a week' (should be plural) and 'one or twice a month' (should be 'once'). Overall, the information is well-selected and logically presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that follow a chronological structure. You use cohesive devices such as 'By contrast', 'Meanwhile', 'Additionally', and 'However' effectively to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different time periods, which helps the reader follow the progression of the trends. The flow of ideas is smooth, and the relationship between the different categories is clearly established. The use of referencing is generally accurate, contributing to a coherent and easy-to-follow response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'highest proportion', 'decreased sharply', and 'remained largely unchanged' are appropriate for a Task 1 report. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word form and collocation, such as 'several time a week' instead of 'several times a week' and 'one or twice a month' instead of 'once or twice a month'. While these do not impede communication, addressing these small errors would elevate the precision of your writing. The vocabulary is generally well-suited to the academic nature of the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most sentences are error-free, and your control over grammar is generally strong. There are a few minor slips, such as 'the trend shifted to the people eating' (which is slightly awkward phrasing) and the inconsistent use of pluralization in 'several time'. Punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence structure supports the clear communication of the data. To improve, ensure consistent subject-verb agreement and check for small errors in pluralization, which will help you achieve a higher level of grammatical accuracy.

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

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