Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-16
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 4.0)
In 2003, 30% of people ate fast food
once a week and once or twice a month,
whereas figure who ate a few times
a year and several times a week
recorded approximately 14% and 16%
respectively. 5% of people ate fast
food everyday and never were
remain same through - out the
period. In 2013 and 2006, fast food
eaters once a week were
rose from 30% to 32%, while
people who ate once or twice
a month decreased slightly to
25%. On the other hand, In 2013
Once or twice a month eaters had
32%, followed by decredeclined/dropped
to 28%, once a week visitors.
In contrast, In 2006, people ate
fast food once or twice a month
had the highest percentage was
to in which
common as compared 2013, who
People ate more once a weak.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, containing only 138 words, which directly impacts the completeness of the task. While the candidate attempts to report several figures from the chart, the data is often inaccurate, confused, or contradictory. For instance, the statement that '5% of people ate fast food everyday and never were remain same' misreads the chart values and trends, and the writing concludes with severe incoherence and garbled data reporting regarding the 2003 and 2013 categories. Furthermore, there is no clear overview provided. Because of the under-length nature of the essay combined with inaccurate data reporting and lack of a coherent summary, this falls into Band 4.0 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The text lacks clear logical organisation and proper paragraphing. The response is written as a single dense block of confused sentences that frequently break down mid-thought. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or incorrectly, such as the abrupt transitions 'whereas figure who', 'On the other hand', and 'In contrast', which fail to establish logical relationships between the data points. The final sentences ('In contrast, In 2006, people ate fast food once or twice a month had the highest percentage was to in which common as compared 2013, who People ate more once a weak.') completely break down grammatically and cohesively, making the progression of ideas impossible to follow. This reflects Band 4.0 performance.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, heavily constrained by the numbers and categories in the chart. There are numerous lexical errors and unnatural word combinations, such as 'figue who ate', 'eaters once a week were rose', and 'once a weak' (misspelling of week). The candidate also includes unedited self-corrections directly in the text, such as 'decredeclined/dropped'. The range of vocabulary is extremely limited and inadequate for a precise discussion of statistical trends, occasionally straining the reader's understanding. This aligns with Band 4.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
The grammatical structures attempted are frequently faulty and obscure the meaning of the sentences. There is a severe lack of error-free sentences. Examples of serious grammatical errors include 'whereas figure who ate...', 'fast food eaters once a week were rose from 30% to 32%', and sentences that completely lose their syntactic structure, such as '...people ate fast food once or twice a month had the highest percentage was to in which common as compared 2013...'. Errors in tense, subject-verb agreement, and clause structure are pervasive and constantly impede communication. This corresponds to a Band 4.0 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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