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 illustration shows how often people in the USA ate in fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013. The percentages are divided in 5 categories and over 3 years. Overall, the frequency of eating at fast food restaurants is decreasing with years there are very few noticeable people who eats daily or never.
The highest percentage recorded can be seen for 2003,2013 and 2006 with around 27% to 30% of people eating once a week and 25 to 32% for once or twice a month respectively. The lowest percentage recorded can be seen in all the years around 2% to 5% for people who eats fast food at restaurant everyday or never.
There is a record of average numbers for people who eats several times a week or a few times a year at 15% to 20% and 10% to 15% respectively.
In conclusion, generally the number of people eating at fast food restaurant is decreasing with increasing years.
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 address the task by summarizing the main features of the chart showing fast food consumption frequencies between 2003 and 2013. However, there are several inaccurate data interpretations. For instance, the student states that the frequency is 'decreasing with years', which does not accurately reflect the overall trends, as categories like 'once or twice a month' and 'a few times a year' actually increased or remained stable rather than a universal decline. The overview is weak and generalizes inaccurately. Furthermore, some specific figures cited are imprecise or misread against the visual data. As a result, the task is only partially and somewhat inaccurately addressed, corresponding to a Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organized into four paragraphs, including an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion, giving it an overall recognizable structure. However, logical progression is flawed due to confusing groupings of data and imprecise referencing (e.g., 'The highest percentage recorded can be seen for 2003,2013 and 2006 with around 27% to 30%...'). Cohesive devices are used rather mechanically, such as repeating 'can be seen' and relying on basic transitional phrases. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal development within paragraphs lacks a clear, logical flow, which occasionally strains the reader's comprehension. This fits the Band 5.0 descriptors well.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses a limited but minimally adequate range of vocabulary for this task, such as 'percentage', 'recorded', and 'frequency'. However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'percentages are divided in 5 categories' (instead of 'into'), 'noticeable people who eats' (grammatical error compounded with vocabulary choice), and 'record of average numbers'. Less common lexical items are rarely attempted, and spelling or word formation errors occur, though they do not completely impede communication. These characteristics place the lexical resource squarely at Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response exhibits a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and straightforward statements with frequent grammatical errors. Examples of errors include subject-verb agreement issues ('people who eats'), incorrect prepositions ('divided in 5 categories'), and awkward phrasing ('with increasing years'). Complex sentence forms are rarely attempted, and when they are, they often contain grammatical flaws. Errors are frequent and occasionally cause some difficulty for the reader, aligning with the criteria for a Band 5.0 in grammatical range and accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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