Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-20
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 depicts the numbers of people in the USA ate in fast food restaurants from 2003 and 2013.Overall,we can observe the frequency of eating at fast food restaurants among people in USA were highest in 2006 rather than other years.The ratio of people eating fast food was lowest in other years from 2003 to 2013.
At first ,4% people eating fast food at restaurants every day in the year of 2003 was 4% and from 2006 to 2013 the number of people eating fast food had same percentage and it was about only 2% people.Furthermore,number of people decreased and then 17% people ate fast food several times a week in the year of 2003 and18% to 20% people ate some time in a week from 2006 to 2013.Some 5% people never ate the fast food in their entire life from 2003 to 2013 respectively.37% to 40% people used to ate food once or twice a month.on the other side 15% people only ate the food once a year 39% while 9% people ate fast food outiside once a year from 2003 to 2013.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to report data from the chart, but there are significant issues with data accuracy and interpretation. For example, the overview incorrectly claims that the frequency of eating at fast food restaurants was highest in 2006 rather than other years, which does not accurately capture the overall trends presented in the chart. Furthermore, many of the specific figures cited are inaccurate or misread, such as stating that '37% to 40% people used to ate food once or twice a month' when the actual figures hovered around 25% to 33%. The response makes an attempt to address the prompt by selecting some features, but the factual inaccuracies and lack of clear comparison mean the task is only partially addressed, corresponding to a Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks clear logical organization and progression. The text is divided into two poorly structured paragraphs, and the transitions between sentences are often abrupt or confusing, as seen with phrases like 'At first ,4% people...' and 'on the other side'. Paragraphing is inadequate, as the body of the text is jammed into a single dense block with multiple unrelated data points jumbled together. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or inaccurately, making the overall arrangement difficult to follow. Referencing is also unclear at times, which disrupts the flow of information. These issues place the response firmly in the Band 5.0 category.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, frequently relying on simple words and phrases such as 'numbers of people', 'people eating fast food', and 'every day'. There are noticeable errors in word choice and collocations, such as 'people used to ate food' and 'ate the food once a year'. Spelling and morphological errors also occur throughout the text (e.g., 'outiside'). The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for the task, causing some difficulty for the reader in places due to awkward phrasing. This performance aligns with Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response features a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple, repetitive sentence patterns. When the student attempts more complex constructions, they are frequently faulty and fraught with errors, such as 'the numbers of people in the USA ate in fast food restaurants' and 'frequency of eating... among people in USA were highest'. There are frequent errors in verb tenses, subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'frequency... were highest'), and missing prepositions or articles. These frequent errors cause strain and difficulty for the reader, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptors well.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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