Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The bar chart illustrates the frequency of people who went to fast food restaurants for eating in the USA between 2003 and 2013. Units are given in percentages.

Overall, people who went to fast food restaurant once a week had the greatest percentage in 2006 compared to those who went once or twice in a month in 2013. Residents who went everyday and those who had never eaten in the fast food restaurant had the least percentage.

In detail, people who went once a week and those who had gone once or twice in a month made up the highest percentage in all three years 2003, 2006, and 2013. Once a week attendant had made the greatest percentage at about 31% in 2003, 33% in 2006, and nearly 28% in 2013. Similarly, those who went once or twice in a month had at about 30%, 25%, and nearly 33% respectively in 2003, 2006, and 2013.

Regarding those who made up the lowest percentage, everyday attendant had at 4% in 2003, and nearly 2.5% in 2006 and 2013, and those who never went to fast food restaurant had at 5% in 2003, and 4% in 2006 and same percentage in 2013.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student covers the main features of the chart well, making appropriate comparisons between categories and years. An overview is present, though the selection of features in the overview could be slightly sharper (e.g., highlighting that 'once a week' and 'once or twice a month' consistently formed the two most popular frequencies throughout the period). The specific data points cited are generally accurate and reflect the visual data well, such as noting the peak of 33% for 'once a week' in 2006 and 'once or twice a month' in 2013. The response satisfies all requirements of Task 1 by reporting key trends and figures without major omissions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is logically organised into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two detailed body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used adequately to connect ideas, such as 'In detail,' 'Regarding those who made up the lowest percentage,' and 'Similarly.' However, some referencing and transitions feel slightly repetitive or mechanical, and the paragraphing could flow more naturally. Progression is clear overall, guiding the reader effectively through the dataset from highest to lowest categories.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common phrases such as 'greatest percentage,' 'attendant' (though used somewhat inaccurately to mean respondents/people), and 'respectively.' There are some word choice and collocation errors, notably using 'attendant' to describe survey participants ('Once a week attendant') and awkward phrasing like 'people who went to fast food restaurants for eating.' Spelling is generally accurate, but lexical precision is limited in places.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'people who went to fast food restaurant once a week had the greatest percentage in 2006 compared to those who went once or twice in a month' and missing pluralisations or articles ('everyday attendant had at 4%'). Punctuation is generally fine, but structural inaccuracies persist and occasionally require rereading.

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

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