Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-28

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 8.0)

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 habit during the period. In contrast, only a small percentage of people ate fast food every day or never ate it.

In 2003, around 31% of people ate fast food once a week, while approximately 30% did so once or twice a month. These figures changed in 2006, when eating once a week became slightly more popular, at about 33%, whereas the figure for once or twice a month fell to around 25%. By 2013, the percentage eating once or twice a month increased significantly to about 33%, while the figure for once a week decreased to approximately 28%.

People who ate fast food several times a week accounted for about 17% in 2003 and 20% in 2006, before falling to around 16% in 2013. Finally, eating fast food every day and never eating it remained relatively uncommon, with figures generally below 5% in all three years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the bar chart regarding fast food consumption in the USA between 2003 and 2013. An appropriate overview is provided, highlighting the most common frequencies ("once a week or once or twice a month") and the least common categories ("every day or never"). Key data points and comparisons are accurately selected and reported across the three years, such as the trends for eating once a week and once or twice a month. The figures cited align closely with the visual data provided, demonstrating a clear understanding of the information presented.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from an introductory statement and overview into specific body paragraphs detailing the data. Cohesive devices such as "In contrast", "while", and "before falling to" are used effectively to guide the reader through comparisons and temporal shifts. Paragraphing is used appropriately and supports the overall structure of the report, ensuring that the information flows smoothly from one idea to the next without causing any confusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient and appropriate range of vocabulary for this task type, utilizing terms like "illustrates", "percentage", "accounted for", and "uncommon". Less common vocabulary items are attempted with some awareness of style and collocation, such as "relatively uncommon" and "increased significantly". Word choice is generally precise, and there are no spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. The use of varied expressions for reporting data contributes to a natural and fluent tone throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The response exhibits a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses introduced by "while" and "when". The majority of sentences are error-free, and the writer demonstrates good control over tense usage, shifting appropriately between past tenses for the historical data. Punctuation is accurate, and complex structures are managed with confidence, resulting in a smooth reading experience with no noticeable grammatical slips that cause difficulty for the reader.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.