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 elucidates the percentage of people in USA who frequently eat in fast food restaurants over a period of 10 years from 2003 to 2013.

Taking a general overview, eating at fast food restaurants once a week and once or twice a month was the most popular in USA whereas every day and never was least preferred by the residents in the given period.

It is pellucid that in 2003, about 31% of Americans ate fast food once a week, while 30% ate it once or twice a month. In addition, 17% of people ate fast food several times a week, whereas 13% did so a few times a year. By 2006, the percentage of people who ate fast food once a week increased by 2 percentage points to 33%. Similarly, the figure for those eating it several times a week rose from 17% to 20%, while the proportion eating it a few times a year increased from 13% to 15%. In contrast, the percentage of people who ate fast food once or twice a month fell from 30% to 25%.

By 2013, the pattern had changed. The percentage eating fast food once or twice a month increased significantly to about 33%, becoming the highest figure. However, those eating it once a week decreased to approximately 28%, while the proportion eating it several times a week fell to around 16%. The figure for eating fast food a few times a year remained stable at 15%. Meanwhile, daily consumption and never eating fast food remained relatively uncommon, at about 3–4%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the years 2003, 2006, and 2013. The overview clearly highlights the most and least popular frequencies of eating at fast food restaurants. Data points are accurately cited from the chart, such as noting that eating once a week and once or twice a month were dominant categories, and effectively tracking the shifts over time, including the rise of monthly consumption to the top spot by 2013. The response is fully developed and well-grounded in the visual data without introducing irrelevant outside information.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. The information is divided into sensible paragraphs, starting with an introduction and general overview, followed by detailed body paragraphs that sequence data chronologically and topically. Cohesive devices are used appropriately and effectively, such as 'Taking a general overview', 'In addition', 'By 2006', 'In contrast', and 'Meanwhile'. Referencing is clear throughout, and referencing words help maintain a smooth flow between sentences and paragraphs, contributing to a coherent and well-structured essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient and generally flexible range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task. Phrases like 'elucidates the percentage', 'proportion eating it', 'remained relatively uncommon', and 'becoming the highest figure' show good control of less common lexical items. There are occasional slight awkwardnesses or minor slips, such as the missing article in 'in USA' (which should be 'in the USA'), but these do not impede communication. Word choice and collocations are generally accurate and appropriate for describing statistical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The writer uses a wide variety of complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses ('while 30% ate it once or twice a month', 'although the proportion...'), and the majority of sentences are error-free. Control of grammar and punctuation is good, with correct tense usage across past and present contexts. Minor slips do occur, such as the missing article 'in USA' in the opening sentence, but these are rare and non-systematic, allowing the text to read smoothly and accurately.

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