Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-17
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 5.0)
The chart shows how frequently people in the USA ate in fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013. In 2003, everyday about 4% people went to fast restaurants for eating. But in 2006 and 2013 about 3% of people went to restaurants for eating.
In 2003, the ratio of people eating several times in a week increased to about 17% as compared to everyday routine. Similarly, for year 2006 about 20% and for 2013 about 16% people went several times a week to fast food resturants. The ratio of people went to restaurants once a week was highest in 2003 which was about 31%. Similarly in 2006 people visiting restaurants once a week was 33% and in 2013 its 27%. In 2003, 30% people went to restaurants for meals once or twice a month. In 2006, 25% people and in 2013, 33% poeple once or twice visited cafe's for meals. The percentage of people in 2003, who visited cafe's a few times in a year was13% but in 2006 and 2013 the ratio of persons visited restaurants a few times in a year was 15%. In 2003, 5% of people never visited restaurants for fast food. In 2006 and 2013, about 4% people never visited a restaurant for fast food.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the task by reporting the percentages for each frequency category across the three years. However, the response lacks a clear overall trend or overview, which is a key requirement for Academic Task 1. Instead of selecting and reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons, the student lists the data category by category in a mechanical fashion (e.g., 'In 2003, the ratio of people eating several times in a week... Similarly, for year 2006...'). While most of the figures reported are reasonably accurate according to the chart, the lack of synthesis and failure to highlight standout trends, such as the dominance of 'once a week' and 'once or twice a month' eating habits, limits the score to a Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organised into two paragraphs, separating the introduction/first data point from the remaining categories, but paragraphing is overall underdeveloped. The flow of information is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on repetitive transitional phrases such as 'In 2003...', 'Similarly...', and 'In 2006...'. There is an absence of advanced cohesive devices to smoothly link ideas and create a clear progression. Referencing is occasionally confusing, such as using 'its 27%' where the tense shifts abruptly. While the text is generally readable, the organisational structure remains basic, aligning well with the Band 5 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate vocabulary range to discuss percentages and frequencies, such as 'ratio', 'percentage', and 'frequency'. However, there is noticeable repetition of basic verbs and nouns (e.g., 'went to restaurants', 'people'). Furthermore, there are several lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'everyday about 4% people' (instead of 'every day, about 4% of people') and referring to fast-food restaurants interchangeably as 'cafe's'. Spelling and word formation are generally acceptable, but the limited flexibility and recurring vocabulary slips restrict the score to Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding article usage, prepositions, and word order (e.g., 'for eating', 'the ratio of people went to restaurants', '30% people went'). Tense consistency is also an issue, with occasional shifts between past and present reference points (e.g., 'in 2013 its 27%'). These errors occasionally cause some difficulty for the reader, though communication is not severely impeded. This profile corresponds to a Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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