Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-03

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)

this bar graph shows how frequently people in USA ate in fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013. on every day basis people ate less than 5%, about 4% in year 2003 and 3% in 2006 and 2013. the percentage people ate several time a week is 17%, 20% and 16% in the years 2003, 2006 and 2013 respectively. there is steep hike between people who ate everyday and people who ate several times a week. this can be seen in between about people who ate several times and once a week in all years.

the percentage of people who ate once a week in the years 2003, 2006 and 2013 are 31%, 28% and 33% respectively. People who ate once or twice a month are 30%, 25% and 33% in the respective years. In the years 2003, 2006 and 2013, There is fall in percentage of people who ate a few time a year like 13%, 15% and 15 % in respective years. The people who never ate fast food were 5%, 3% and 3% in respective years

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by reporting the data for each category across the three years. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the main trends, which is a requirement for a high band score. The information is presented as a list of data points rather than a synthesis of the most significant features. For example, while you mention specific percentages, you do not highlight the most popular frequency (once a week) or the relative stability of the 'never' category. To improve, ensure you include an introductory overview paragraph that identifies the key trends or most notable changes observed in the data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into two paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The transition between sentences is often mechanical, relying heavily on listing data rather than linking ideas. There is a lack of cohesive devices to guide the reader through the comparisons. For instance, the phrase 'this can be seen in between about people' is confusing and lacks clarity. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs is disjointed. Using a wider range of linking words such as 'in contrast', 'furthermore', or 'conversely' would help improve the flow and logical connection between the different categories of fast food consumption.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite repetitive and basic. You frequently use the phrase 'in the respective years' and 'percentage of people', which limits the range of your expression. There are also some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'steep hike' (which is more suited to describing a trend over time rather than a comparison between categories) and 'a few time a year' (should be 'a few times'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'accounted for'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in USA', 'in year 2003'), subject-verb agreement issues ('percentage people ate... is'), and punctuation errors (missing capital letters at the start of sentences). While the meaning is generally clear, these frequent errors distract the reader. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that every sentence begins with a capital letter and that articles are used correctly before nouns. Increasing the use of complex sentences, such as using relative clauses or subordinating conjunctions, would also help demonstrate a wider grammatical range.

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

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