Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-18
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 bar representation illustrates the information related to how frequently people had the consumption of fast food in the USA in several years 2003, 2006 and 2013. Moreover, data is calibrated in the form of percentage.
Overall, it is observed that people prefered to ate fast food once a week or once or twice a week. Moreover, not more than 5% people intake fast food everyday or never had it.
Everday, not more than 4% people prefered consumption of fast food in 3 years. In 2003 and 2013, 17% people prefered eat food during several times a week and 20% people prefered it in 2006. Number increases dramatically when it comes to people who eat fast food once a week. Moreover
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The student attempts to summarise the main features of the bar chart regarding fast food consumption in the USA from 2003 to 2013. However, the response is severely incomplete, cutting off mid-sentence at the end with the word 'Moreover'. Furthermore, the word count requirement of 150 words is not met, as the text contains only 121 words. While an overview is attempted, key data comparisons are missing due to the abrupt ending, leading to an under-developed response. Based on the band descriptors, this falls under Band 4.0 as it is truncated and lacks full development of the task requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is divided into short paragraphs and attempts to use basic cohesive markers such as 'Overall' and 'Moreover'. However, logical progression is disrupted by mechanical transitions and the fact that the writing ends abruptly mid-sentence. Paragraphing is attempted, but the overall structure feels disjointed due to the lack of a concluding section and incomplete development of ideas. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the mechanical repetition of certain linking words reduces the flow. This performance aligns with Band 5.0 for Coherence and Cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a limited range of vocabulary suitable for the task, using phrases such as 'consumption of fast food' and 'calibrated in the form of percentage'. There are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'prefered to ate fast food' instead of 'preferred to eat fast food' and 'people intake fast food' instead of 'consume fast food'. Spelling errors like 'prefered' (preferred) and 'Everday' (Every day) are also present. The vocabulary is minimally adequate for the topic but restricted in flexibility, placing it at Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple structures and attempted complex sentences, but these are frequently marred by grammatical errors. Examples include 'people prefered to ate' (incorrect verb form pairing), 'not more than 5% people intake' (missing prepositions and incorrect auxiliary/verb usage), and 'Number increases dramatically' (missing article). Punctuation is basic, and tense control is occasionally inconsistent. Due to the high frequency of grammatical errors and the incomplete nature of the sentences, this warrants a band score of 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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