Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-29
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 graph illustrates the range of consuming at junk food restaurants among youngsters in the USA by three years; 2003, 2006, 2013.
Overall, individuals eating junk food items once a week had the highest figure in 2006. However, this figure was comparatively the lowest in 2003 and 2013.
In 2003, once or twice a month stood at 30%, while around 32% once a week had the highest frequency of people. In addition, every day and never eating fast food accounted for approximately 4% and 5% respectively. In 2006, this figure stood at around 7% collectively. On the other hand, once a week had the highest frequency range at around 38%. Several times a week and once or twice a month accounted for 20% and 25% respectively.
Turning to another year 2013, the range of every day eating fast food was lower than never consuming fast food. Once or twice a month stood at around 33%; that was the highest frequency. While, once a week and several times a week stood at approximately 27% and 16% respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student attempts to address the prompt by summarising data from the bar chart regarding fast food consumption frequencies between 2003 and 2013. However, there are notable inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the overview incorrectly claims that eating once a week had the highest figure only in 2006, when in fact it was also the highest category in 2003 (31%) and 2013 (28%). Furthermore, some figures are misquoted or awkwardly stated, such as 'around 32% once a week had the highest frequency of people' and 'In 2006, this figure stood at around 7% collectively,' which lacks clarity and misinterprets the chart. While the response attempts to cover main features and make comparisons across the three years, the data selection and reporting contain factual errors and inconsistencies that prevent it from reaching a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is structured into four paragraphs, including a clear introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for the years 2003/2006 and 2013. This shows a basic attempt at paragraphing and overall organisation. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by awkward transitions and confusing referencing. For instance, sentences like 'In 2006, this figure stood at around 7% collectively' create ambiguity about what 'this figure' refers to. Cohesive devices are used sparingly and sometimes mechanically (e.g., 'In addition', 'On the other hand', 'Turning to another year 2013'), and the internal cohesion within paragraphs lacks the smooth flow expected at higher bands. Paragraphing is present, but overall logical development is occasionally disrupted.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is somewhat limited and repetitive, with imprecise phrasing throughout. The student introduces inaccurate collocations and unnatural phrasing, such as 'the range of consuming at junk food restaurants' and 'youngsters in the USA' (the chart actually refers to 'people', not specifically youngsters). Additionally, 'junk food' is used interchangeably with 'fast food', which is acceptable informally but less precise for an academic task. While there are attempts to use vocabulary related to data reporting ('illustrates', 'highest figure', 'frequency'), word choice errors and unnatural collocations are noticeable and occasionally impede clear communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several awkward or ungrammatical constructions, such as 'by three years; 2003, 2006, 2013' instead of 'across three years: 2003, 2006, and 2013', and incomplete clauses like 'While, once a week and several times a week stood at...'. Punctuation errors also occur, such as the incorrect use of semicolons and commas in introductory phrases. While simple sentences are generally understandable, attempts at more complex structures frequently result in grammatical errors that cause some difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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