Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-03

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 6.0)

The bar chart illustrates the frequency of people that ate in fast food restaurants between 2003 to 2013 in United States of America.

Overall, the chart represents data from three years of the decade (2003, 2006, 2013). The Y axis represents the percentage of people who ate fast food while the X axis showcases the three years chosen. We observe that the ratio of people eating fast food every day accounted for 4% in 2003 which dropped by 1% in 2006 and remained constant until 2013. A similar pattern can be noticed in the number of people who never ate outside.IN 2003, 5% of the total people avoided eating outside which dropped to 4% in 2006 and remained the same until 2013.

On the other hand, we observe that the frequency of people eating fast food outside several times a week, one a week, once a month or twice a month has fluctuated. The chart also reflects how people eating fast food outside few times a year has seen a slight increase from 2003 to 2006.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the prompt by reporting information from the bar chart, but it only partially covers the data. While some features are selected, such as the daily consumption and those who never ate fast food, other key details are missed or grouped too vaguely. The overview is weak, merely describing the axes and years rather than summarising the main trends across the decade. Furthermore, there are noticeable inaccuracies in reading the data: for instance, the percentage of people who never ate fast food in 2003 is reported as 5%, whereas the chart indicates it was around 4.5%, and the grouping of categories in the final paragraph is too general to accurately reflect the specific frequency brackets shown in the visual. To reach a higher level, the response needs a clearer overview of overall trends and more accurate, well-selected data points without misrepresenting the figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical structure, beginning with an introduction, moving to specific data points, and attempting a concluding paragraph on other categories. Paragraphing is used, though the division could be managed better, as the body paragraphs tend to clump disparate ideas together. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Overall', 'On the other hand', and 'We observe that', but referencing and linking are at times somewhat mechanical or repetitive. To achieve a higher score, the student should ensure clearer progression between ideas and more flexible, natural transitions that guide the reader smoothly through the comparative features of the chart.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic meanings related to statistical reporting. The student makes attempts at less common vocabulary with phrases like 'ratio of people', 'remained constant', and 'fluctuated'. However, there are some word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as writing 'ate in fast food restaurants' instead of 'ate at', and slight awkwardness in phrasing like 'number of people who never ate outside' when referring to fast food consumption. Spelling is generally accurate, and errors do not impede communication. To move to the next band, the response needs a wider, more precise range of lexical items specific to data analysis, such as synonyms for proportions and trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, successfully employing subordinate clauses and time markers like 'while the X axis showcases'. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as article omission or misuse in 'in United States of America' (missing 'the') and a capitalization slip with 'IN 2003'. However, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the text to secure a solid mid-range standing. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate a wider variety of complex structures with greater control, ensuring that grammatical errors are kept to a minimum across all sentence types.

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

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