Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The bar graph illustrates how often people in the USA ate in fast food restaurants from 2003 to 2013.

Overall, throughout the timeline, least number of people have never ate fast food, while less than 5% ate everyday. Majority of the people ate once or twice in week or a month. Moreover on average, 15 to 20% people ate several times a week or few times a year.

In all the three years, less than 5% people ate junk food everyday. In 2003 about 17% people consumed junk food several times a week, which rose to 20% in 2006 and dropped to again to almost 16% in 2013. Oppositely, people who consumed fast food only single time in a week were slightly above 30% in 2006, which jumped to 33% approximately in 2006 and dropped significantly to 27% in 2013.

In addition, 30% people in 2003 ate junk foods once or only two times a month, which decreased by 5% in 2006 and rose steadily in above 30% in 2013. People eating fast food commonly few times a year were less than 15% in 2006, but remained 15% in 2006 and 2013. Only 5% people never ate fast food in 2006 and remained less than 5% in 2006 and 2013.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the chart and makes relevant comparisons. You have successfully identified the key trends across the three years. However, the report lacks precision in some areas. For example, you mention '15 to 20% people' ate several times a week, but the data shows more specific fluctuations. Additionally, there are some inaccuracies in data reporting, such as stating 'less than 5% people ate junk food everyday' when the chart shows a consistent 5% for some years. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are cited with greater accuracy and that the overview highlights the most significant trends more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'In addition', and 'Oppositely' to link ideas. However, the use of some cohesive devices is slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'Oppositely' to contrast data points. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing could be smoother. Ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus to improve the overall flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'consumed', and 'fluctuations'. However, there is some repetition of basic phrases like 'people ate' and 'junk food'. There are also minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'least number of people have never ate' (should be 'the smallest percentage of people never ate') and 'rose steadily in above 30%'. To improve, try to vary your verbs and nouns to describe trends more precisely and avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'least number of people have never ate' (incorrect verb form), 'dropped to again to almost 16%' (redundant preposition), and 'rose steadily in above 30%' (incorrect preposition). These errors do not impede communication, but they do indicate a need for more careful proofreading, particularly regarding verb tenses and preposition usage.

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

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