Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-25
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 given bar graph depicts the percentage of people who ate in junk meal restaurants in the USA in the year of 2003, 2006, 2013.
Overall, is clear that the majority of people ate fast food once in a week, while less number of people had meal once or twice a month in a restaurant in 2006. The people in the USA who went to restaurant every day and never visited hotels were in minority.
The frequency of people who ate at fast food restaurants every day was less than 5%, although the residents who never ate at fast food restaurants were only 5% in 2003. Additionally, the average were less than 5% in 2006 and 2013. Furthermore, the residents in the USA who only ate a few times a year was 13% in 2003. The proportion of people was 15% in 2006 and 2013. Residents who had their meal several times a week in a restaurant was 17% in
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 response attempts to summarize the main features of the chart regarding the frequency of eating at fast-food restaurants in the USA from 2003 to 2013. However, there are notable inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the writer states that the majority of people ate fast food once a week in 2006, while a smaller number had a meal once or twice a month, but misinterprets other proportions and omits key comparative trends. Furthermore, the response is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence at the end ('Residents who had their meal several times a week in a restaurant was 17% in'). Consequently, the task is only partially addressed, earning a band score of 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The essay attempts an overall summary and sequential body paragraphs, but the logical flow is disrupted by inaccuracies and the incomplete ending. While cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore' are used, referencing is sometimes confusing, such as referring to data points simply as 'the average'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the abrupt cut-off at the conclusion severely impacts the overall organization and progression of ideas. Overall, the structural control corresponds to a band score of 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'percentage', 'proportion', and 'frequency'. However, there are awkward word choices and unnatural collocations, such as 'junk meal restaurants' instead of 'fast-food restaurants' and referring to restaurants as 'hotels'. Less common lexical items are attempted but occasionally mishandled. Despite these limitations, the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic topic, supporting a band score of 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The given bar graph depicts the percentage of people who ate...' and 'The frequency of people who ate at fast-food restaurants every day was less than 5%'. However, there are grammatical errors throughout, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'the average were less than 5%', 'Residents... was 13%') and missing articles. The abrupt ending also leaves a sentence grammatically incomplete. These errors occasionally cause strain for the reader, placing the grammar at a band score of 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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