Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The given bar graph depicts the percentage of people who ate in fast food restaurants in the USA in the years of 2003, 2006, and 2013.

Overall, it is clear that the majority of people ate fast food once a week, while a smaller number of people had meals once or twice a month in a restaurant in 2006. The people in the USA who went to restaurants every day and never visited restaurants were in a minority.

The frequency of people who ate fast food at restaurants every day were less than 5%, although the residents who never ate at fast food restaurants were only 5% in 2003. Additionally, the proportion was less than 5% in 2006 and 2013. Furthermore, the residents in the USA who only ate a few times a year were 13% in 2003. The proportion of individuals was 15% in 2006 and 2013. Residents who had their meal several times a week in restaurants were 17% in 2003 and the figure rose to 20% in 2006. In addition, the number of customers who ate at fast food outlets declined to 16%.

Individuals who ate at fast food chains once a week were 31% in 2003, although there was a slight rise in the number of customers, from 31% to 33% in 2006. Moreover, the figure dropped to 27% in 2013. The percentage of people in the USA who ate at fast food chains once or twice a month were 30% in 2003 and declined to 25% in 2006. After that in 2013, there was a significant increase of 33% in the number of individuals who ate at fast food restaurants.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student provides a clear overview of the main trends and covers all categories presented in the bar chart across the three specified years. Key data points, such as the percentages for eating fast food once a week or a few times a year, are accurately reported and supported by figures from the chart. Comparisons are made effectively, such as contrasting the proportions in 2003 with those in 2006 and 2013. However, there are minor inaccuracies in reporting specific figures, such as stating the 2013 figure for eating once a week dropped to 27% (while the chart indicates approximately 28%). Despite this minor discrepancy, all parts of the task are well-addressed with relevant details and clear comparisons, satisfying the requirements for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory paragraph paraphrasing the prompt, followed by a well-formulated overview paragraph, and subsequent body paragraphs that break down the data by frequency categories. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Overall', 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'Moreover', to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different sets of data. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and referencing could be smoother, preventing the response from achieving a higher band score where cohesion is completely unobtrusive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, employing terms such as 'proportion', 'percentage', 'fluctuate', 'significantly', and 'decline'. Less common lexical items are attempted with some success, such as 'in a minority' and 'slight rise'. However, there are occasional awkward collocations and minor word choice inaccuracies, such as 'ate meals ... in a restaurant' when referring to fast-food outlets, and minor prepositional inconsistencies. Overall, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the information clearly and with some precision, though it lacks the more sophisticated control and flexibility seen in higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses introduced by 'while', 'although', and 'who'. There are several instances of error-free sentences, particularly when stating straightforward statistical facts. However, there are some grammatical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'The frequency of people who ate fast food at restaurants every day were less than 5%' (subject-verb agreement error with 'frequency' and 'were') and 'there was a significant increase of 33% in the number' (misusing 'of' where 'to' is expected). Punctuation is generally sound, and these errors do not impede overall communication.

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

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