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 bar graph illustrates the proportion of fast food eaters who was eating fast food frequently or rarely in USA from 2003 and 2013.

To begin with, The highest number of people ate fast food once a week and once or twice a month. This figure for once a week was recorded Over 30% in 2003 and 2006, and approximately 28% in 2013. Similarly, This proportion for once or twice a month was stood at 30% and declined by 25% in 2006 before showing gradually inclined under 35% in last year. On the other hand, This figure for Every day and never eaters was under 5% in all year which was declined by 2013.

However, almost 13% of masses ate fast food a few times a year in 2003 that was climb and reached at 15% and stayed stable until 2013. Moreover, This percentage for several times a week fast food eaters stood at nearly 16% in 2003 and showed upward trend (20%) in 2006. This figure decreased almost 16% in last year.

Overall, it clear that Once a week and Once or twice a month fast food eater percentage was highest then others, while this proportion was lowest for every day and never fast food eaters in all years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully reports the main features and makes relevant comparisons across the categories of the bar chart between 2003 and 2013. The highest and lowest categories are correctly identified, such as 'once a week' and 'once or twice a month' being the most popular, and 'every day' and 'never' being the least popular. However, there are some imprecise descriptions of data movements, such as stating that a figure 'declined by 25%' rather than 'declined to 25%'. Additionally, some minor data points are slightly generalised or imprecise. Nevertheless, an overall clear summary is presented, satisfying the core requirements of Task 1 adequately.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is organised into clear paragraphs, starting with an introduction, followed by body paragraphs grouping the categories, and a concise concluding overview. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'Overall' are utilised to structure the essay, although some transitions feel a bit mechanical or awkward (e.g., 'However, almost 13% of masses...'). Referencing and pronoun use are generally clear, though occasional misuse of determiners affects the smooth progression of ideas. Overall paragraphing is appropriate, ensuring a coherent reading experience.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common phrases such as 'proportion', 'gradually inclined', and 'upward trend'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'fast food eaters who was eating', 'masses' instead of 'people' or 'consumers', and awkward phrasing like 'declined by 25%' instead of 'stood at 25%'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical errors prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and subordinate clauses. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('proportion... who was eating', 'this proportion... was stood'), tense consistency ('was declined by 2013'), and preposition usage ('in USA', 'in all year'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur regularly and lower the overall accuracy of the writing.

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

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