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 chart illustrates the frequency of eating at fast food restaurants among people in the USA in 2003, 2006 and 2016.

Overall, the highest proportions of people who ate fast food were once a week and once or twice a month in 2006 and 2016, respectively. Very few people consumed it every day, with a slight increase in 2006.

In the year 2013, there was a steady increase of folks who preferred junk food over healthy food, from every day to once or twice a month. However, fifteen per cent of people ate junk food a few times a year in both 2006 and 2013. The largest figure for once or twice a month was over 30% in 2013, while the lowest was below 5% for every day.

Consequently, instant cooked food was consumed several times a week by 20% in 2006 and once a week was surpassed by people living in 2006 that is over 32%. in both 2006 and 2013, similar ratio accounted for people who consumed a few times a year and those who never ate fast food. Finally, the people in 2003 consumed much fast food as compared to people lived in 2006 and 2013.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to address the task by reporting features from the bar chart, but there are notable errors and inaccuracies in reading the data. For instance, the student states the chart is for 2016, whereas the prompt clearly shows 2013. Furthermore, some data interpretations are confused, such as stating that 'fifteen per cent of people ate junk food a few times a year in both 2006 and 2013' (which is accurate), but making vague and inaccurate generalisations elsewhere. The overview lacks clarity and misidentifies key trends. Consequently, the response earns a band 5.0 for Task Achievement as it addresses the task only partially with some unclear or incorrect information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is divided into paragraphs, but the overall progression of ideas is disjointed and sometimes difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or mechanically, such as 'Consequently' and 'Finally', which do not logically connect the preceding data points. Referencing is also unclear in places, such as 'people living in 2006 that is over 32%', which creates confusion. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal logical flow within paragraphs is weak. This level of cohesion and organisation aligns with a band 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is somewhat repetitive and informal in places, with phrases like 'folks', 'junk food', and 'instant cooked food' instead of precise academic terminology related to fast food consumption. There are also inappropriate word choices and collocations, such as 'similar ratio accounted for people' and 'largest figure for once or twice a month'. While the student attempts some less common vocabulary, inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing impede precise communication, supporting a band 5.0 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but many complex sentences contain grammatical errors or awkward phrasing, such as 'once a week was surpassed by people living in 2006 that is over 32%.' Punctuation and grammatical control are inconsistent, leading to sentences that require rereading to understand. Frequent errors in clause structures and preposition usage place this submission firmly in the band 5.0 category.

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

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