Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 BAR CHART ILLUSTRATES THAT HOW FREQUENTLY PEOPLE IN THE USA ATE FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS IN 2003 AND 2013.

OVERALL, EATING FAST FOOD ONCE A WEEK OR TWICE A MONTH WAS VERY COMMON, WHILE EATING EVERY DAY OR NEVER WAS LESS COMMON.

IN 2003, AROUND 31% INDIVIDUALS EATING FAST FOOD ONCE A WEEK. BUT IN 2006 EATING FAST FOOD FIGURE INCREASED. THE PROPORTION WHO ATE FAST FOOD SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK WAS ABOUT 17% IN 2003 AND ROSE TO 20% IN 2006 BUT DECREASED IN 2013 AROUND 16%.

PEOPLE EATING FAST FOOD ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH AROUND 30% IN 2003 AND ROSE IN 2013 APPROXIMATELY 33%. LIKEWISE,A FEW TIMES A YEAR EATING FAST FOOD ARE CONSIDERABLY STABLE ALL YEARS.

IN CONTRAST, EVERYDAY EATING FAST FOOD AND NEVER ARE LESS CATEGORY ALMOST 4% TO 5%. THUS MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH EAT FAST FOOD.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a general overview and selects some key features, such as the most and least common frequencies. However, the analysis is inconsistent. You mention 2006, which is not present in the provided chart (which covers 2003, 2006, and 2013, though your data points for 2006 are not clearly supported by the prompt's visual). Furthermore, the description of trends is somewhat disjointed. To improve, ensure you clearly group data points and avoid including years or figures that are not explicitly supported by the provided chart. The summary of the 'never' and 'every day' categories is accurate, but the overall reporting lacks a cohesive analytical structure.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and a lack of varied cohesive devices. While you use 'Overall' and 'In contrast' to signal shifts, the transitions between sentences are often abrupt. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'In 2003, around 31% individuals eating fast food once a week', which lacks a main verb. Improving the use of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'whereas') would help the reader follow your argument more smoothly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You frequently use the phrase 'eating fast food' throughout the text, which limits your lexical range. There are also some awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'less category' instead of 'the smallest categories' or 'considerably stable' instead of 'remained relatively stable'. To reach a higher band, try to use synonyms like 'consumption', 'frequency', 'proportion', or 'percentage' and ensure you use adjectives and adverbs more precisely to describe the trends shown in the chart.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Many sentences lack essential verbs, such as 'around 31% individuals eating fast food' (should be 'around 31% of individuals ate...'). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'majority of the American' instead of 'the majority of Americans'. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often faulty. Focusing on basic sentence construction—ensuring every sentence has a clear subject and a correctly conjugated verb—will significantly improve your score.

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

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