Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The given bar graph illustrates the fluctuating frequency at which the residents ate at fast food restaurents in USA from 2003 to 2013.

Overall, maximum population believed in eating out atleast once or twice a month by 2013, while in 2003 and 2006, majority consumed once a week.

The amount for everyday consumption was fairly low - less that 5% in 2003 and comparatively lower in 2006 and 2013. More than 15% of the population consumed several times a week in the years 2003 and fairly less in 2013. However, in 2006 the graph went up to 20%.

31% to 33% of residents consumed fast food once a week in 2003 and 2006, but these numbers dropped below 30% in 2013. During 2003, 30% of people had once or twice a month, although, the numbers dropped to 25% in 2006 and surged to 33% in 2013. 15% of consumers belonged to the category of few times a year in 2006 and 2013 though the numbers were slightly less in 2003.

Notably, less than 5% people never ate at fast food restaurents over the years. However, if each section is compared not much changes are observed over the years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student covers all major parts of the task, providing an overview and selecting key data points to report and compare across the years 2003, 2006, and 2013. The main trends and categories (such as eating once a week or once or twice a month) are identified accurately according to the visual data. However, there is a minor misinterpretation in the overview where the student states that the 'maximum population believed in eating out atleast once or twice a month by 2013,' whereas 'once a week' or 'once or twice a month' had similar prominent shares. Despite this slight over-generalisation, the response satisfies the requirements of Task Achievement well, earning a band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is arranged logically with a clear overall progression from an introductory statement and general overview into specific body paragraph details. Paragraphing is utilised adequately, separating the general trends from individual data comparisons. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas (e.g., 'Overall', 'However', 'Notably'), although some linking feels slightly repetitive or mechanical. Referencing throughout the body paragraphs is generally clear, allowing the reader to follow the numerical comparisons without difficulty. This places the response firmly within the band 6.5 category.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range suited to the task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'fluctuating', 'surged', and 'proportion' concepts. There are, however, a few spelling errors ('restaurents') and minor inaccuracies in word choice or collocation (e.g., 'The amount for everyday consumption' instead of 'The percentage'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the lexical score from reaching the higher bands. Overall, the range is sufficient to meet the demands of the task, warranting a band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including comparative and contrastive clauses (e.g., 'while in 2003 and 2006, majority consumed once a week'). There are several grammatical errors and omissions, such as missing articles ('in USA' instead of 'in the USA') and awkward phrasing ('had once or twice a month'). However, the majority of simple sentences are accurate, and the grammatical errors rarely impede communication or obscure the intended meaning. This performance is consistent with the descriptors for a band 6.0.

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

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