Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-22
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 5.5)
The given chart compares the frequency of fast food consumption in USA between the years 2003 and 2013.
To begin with, it is noticeable that the highest frequency of people indulging in fast food occured once a week followed closely by involvement occuring once or twice a month. The highest contribution of visits once a week and once or twice a month were in 2006 and 2013 respectively, with 2003 following close second in both years. Authorities surveyed the same amount of people consuming fast food few times a year in 2006 and 2013. Whereas, 2003 came out as the year with the least and the most visited year of fast food restaurants , with 2006 and 2013 falling behind by a minute margin. Visits to a fast food restaurant, several times a week, peaked in 2006 , with 2003 and 2013 having a minimal difference recorded.
Overall, it is evident that people tend to visit once a week or once or twice a month quite frequently with minimal people never or daily visits to a fast food restaurants
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully addresses the main features of the chart, reporting data for fast food consumption across the years 2003, 2006, and 2013. A clear overview is provided at the end, capturing the general trends such as the popularity of eating once a week or monthly. Key comparisons are made between the categories, such as noting that 'once a week' and 'once or twice a month' were the most prominent frequencies. However, there are some inaccuracies and vague expressions in the reporting of specific figures, such as stating '2003 came out as the year with the least and the most visited year of fast food restaurants', which is confusing and imprecise compared to the actual chart data. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, but greater precision in data reporting would elevate the response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into three paragraphs: an introduction, a body paragraph detailing specific trends, and an overall concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'To begin with', 'Whereas', and 'Overall'. However, the logical progression within the body paragraph is somewhat disjointed and difficult to follow due to convoluted phrasing and referencing errors, such as 'with 2003 following close second in both years' and awkward transitions between data points. Paragraphing is present, but the internal flow of the body paragraph requires more careful sequencing and clearer referencing to achieve a higher band score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student attempts a range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task, using terms such as 'consumption', 'frequency', 'indulging', and 'proportion'. There are some successful lexical choices, but also instances of unnatural collocation and awkward phrasing, such as 'indulging in fast food', 'highest contribution of visits', and 'minimal people never or daily visits'. Spelling is generally accurate, but word choice errors and imprecise lexical control occasionally impede smooth reading. To reach a higher band, the student needs to demonstrate more precision and naturalness in utilizing less common vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting varied clauses such as 'with 2003 following close second in both years' and 'while 2006 and 2013 falling behind'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several errors, including missing prepositions ('in USA', 'frequency of people indulging'), awkward participial phrases ('occuring once a week', 'occuring once or twice a month'), and a run-on sentence structure in the final conclusion containing a grammatical mismatch ('with minimal people never or daily visits'). These errors occasionally cause slight strain for the reader, placing the response firmly at band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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