Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-11

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 depicts the percentage of how frequently people of USA ate food in restaurants in 2003,2006 and 203.

Overall, the majority of people ate food either once a week or twice a week,In contrast with having food daily has the least percentage throughout the year. although there is shift from eating once or twice a month to eating never in 2013.

In 2003,about 31 percent people ate the food in once a week,following that only 30 percent people have food in restaurant once or twice a week,whereas only 17 percent people ate in restaurant several times a week and 13 percent people ate their food only a few times a year.The smallest percentage was the people who ate food at restaurant daily and the one who never did was only 3 to 5 percent.

In 2006, 32 percent people ate their food at restaurant once a week and 25 percent people have their food in once or twice a week.similarly the proportion of having food several times a week was 20 percent following that only 15 percent people ate their food in restaurant a few times a year.the smallest ration was for the one who ate daily and one who never ate outside was 3 percent.by 2013 the trend reversed the highest percentage was the people who ate once or twice the month and the percentage for on who ate once a week was 28 percent similarly,the ratio for people having

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the chart, but the analysis is incomplete as the text cuts off abruptly before finishing the description of the 2013 data. While you successfully identify the general trends and provide specific figures for 2003 and 2006, the lack of a complete summary for the final year and the absence of a clear concluding overview limit the task achievement. To improve, ensure you cover all years provided in the prompt and provide a cohesive summary that highlights the most significant changes or patterns across the entire period.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow is hindered by mechanical errors and a lack of sophisticated cohesive devices. While you use some linking words like 'In contrast' and 'similarly', the transitions between sentences are often abrupt. Furthermore, the abrupt ending of the text significantly impacts the overall coherence. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that guides the reader through the data.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is somewhat repetitive. You frequently use phrases like 'ate their food' and 'percentage of people', which could be varied to demonstrate a broader range. There are also some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'smallest ration' instead of 'smallest proportion'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'accounted for', and avoid repeating the same sentence structures throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Issues include missing articles (e.g., 'in once a week'), incorrect verb tenses, and inconsistent punctuation, such as missing spaces after commas. These errors are noticeable and occasionally make the text difficult to follow. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that your sentences are punctuated correctly. Proofreading for basic grammatical slips will help you achieve a higher level of accuracy.

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

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