Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-26

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 7.0)

The bar chart illustrates how frequently people in the USA ate at fast food restaurants in 2003, 2006 and 2013.

Overall, it is clear that eating fast food once a week or once or twice a month was the most common in all three years. In contrast, only a small proportion of people ate fast food every day or never. There were also some changes in the frequency of fast-food consumption over the period.

In 2003, approximately 4% of people ate at fast food restaurants every day, while around 17% did so several times a week. The largest proportion, at about 30%, ate fast food once a week. A similar percentage, roughly 30%, ate there once or twice a month. About 13% visited these restaurants a few times a year, and around 4% never ate fast food.

In 2006, the figure for people eating fast food once a week increased slightly to approximately 33%, making it the highest figure on the chart. The proportion eating once or twice a month, however, fell to about 25%. Meanwhile, the percentage eating several times a week rose to 20%. The figures for eating every day and never eating fast food were both around 3%.

By 2013, the percentage of people eating fast food once or twice a month had risen significantly to approximately 33%, becoming the highest figure. The proportion eating once a week fell to about 28%, while those eating several times a week decreased slightly to around 16%. The figures for eating a few times a year and every day remained relatively low, at about 14% and 3%, respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and highlighting key trends and comparisons from the bar chart. The main features, such as the most common frequencies (once a week and once or twice a month) and the general shifts over the decade, are accurately reported. Figures are cited correctly from the visual data, with appropriate approximations used where necessary. The response is fully developed and satisfies all requirements for Task Achievement at a high level, successfully addressing the prompt without any noticeable omissions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is logically sequenced and easy to follow. Information is presented in a clear, progressive manner, moving from an introduction and overall summary into well-structured body paragraphs that handle the data chronologically by year. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the chart. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'meanwhile', and 'by 2013' are managed well to guide the reader through the data, although referencing and progression remain straightforward rather than sophisticated.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and flexible range of vocabulary suited to academic reporting. Phrases like 'a small proportion of people', 'increased slightly', 'rose significantly', and 'remaining relatively low' are used accurately. There are attempts at less common vocabulary items and collocation related to data trends. Word choice is generally natural and appropriate, with no significant spelling or lexical errors that impede communication. While it lacks the wide, highly sophisticated range seen at higher bands, the vocabulary deployed is fully sufficient for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The student displays good control of grammar and punctuation. A successful mix of simple and complex sentence structures is employed, including subordinate clauses and comparative constructions (e.g., 'while around 17% did so several times a week' and 'the percentage of people eating fast food once or twice a month had risen significantly'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout. Minor errors or awkward phrasings are virtually absent, indicating a strong command of grammatical structures.

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

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