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)

The illustration gives information about the freequency of easting at fast food resturants among people in the USA between 2003 and 2013. Overall, people less than 5 percent ate in fast food resturants everyday. A large number of

It is quite evident from the bar chart that everyday people less than 5 percent ate fast food in resturants between 2003 and 2013. People ate fast food about 20 percentage several times a week. The bar chart also shows that there is large percentage of people ate fast fast once a week between 2003 and 2013.

Furthermore, the bar chart gives information about the frequency about to ate once or twice a month reamined above 25 percent of people who ate fast food in resturants between 2003 and 2013. The frequency aboout a few times a year remained 15 percent of people who ate fast food in resturants. The frequency about who never ate fast food in resturants was remained less than 5 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The student attempts to report some of the main features from the chart, such as the percentages for eating fast food every day and never eating fast food. However, the response is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence at the end of the first paragraph ('A large number of'). The reporting of data is also imprecise and clumsy, with awkward phrasing like 'People ate fast food about 20 percentage several times a week.' Furthermore, the overview is weak and fails to effectively synthesise the main trends across the ten-year period. While some relevant data points are mentioned, the lack of development and the incomplete text severely limit the task response, placing it firmly at Band 4.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The writing is divided into short paragraphs, but the overall organization is poor. The first paragraph is severely truncated, leaving an orphaned sentence fragment. Cohesive devices are used very mechanically or inappropriately, such as repeating 'Furthermore, the bar chart gives information about...' across the text. Progression is hindered by confusing transitions and repetitive structures. Referencing is also weak, making it difficult to follow the logical flow of ideas. While basic links are present, the lack of control over paragraphing and structural cohesion aligns with Band 4.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, with numerous severe spelling mistakes throughout the text, including 'freequency', 'easting', 'resturants', and 'reamined'. The student struggles with word formation and collocation, writing phrases like 'about 20 percentage' instead of 'around 20 percent' and 'frequency about to ate once or twice a month'. While the student attempts some topic-related vocabulary such as 'fast food restaurants' and 'percentage', the density of errors and limited range restrict the score to Band 4.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The grammatical range is extremely limited, relying heavily on simple, repetitive sentence structures like 'The bar chart also shows that...' and 'The frequency about... remained...'. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing prepositions, incorrect verb forms ('about to ate'), and awkward word order ('people less than 5 percent ate fast food in resturants'). These errors cause strain for the reader and obscure meaning in several places. Because complex structures are either absent or systematically flawed, the grammar sits at Band 4.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.