Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-04

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 chart illustrates the frequency of the people in USA who preferred to eat in fast food restaurants in the period of 2003 and 2013.

Overall, once a week and once or twice a month categories showed highest percentages whereas everyday and never eating categories percentages remained the lowest.

For several times a week, restaurants experienced percentages of 16%, 17% and 20% for the years 2013, 2003 and 2006 respectively. However, for once a week, these percentages experienced significant increase in 2003 reaching about 32%, 33% in 2006 and 27% in 2013. In once or twice a month category, the percentages faced a decline in 2006 and 2003 reaching to 25% and 30% altogether, whereas an increase was observed in 2013. Additionally, the percentages remained same for 2013 and 2006, when people used to go few times in a year and a slight drop was seen for 2003.

In case of everyday and never eating types, these encountered the lowest numbers of all times for the years 2003, 2006 and 2013.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by summarizing the main features and trends of the fast food consumption chart, but some areas are under-developed or mechanically described. For instance, the overview correctly identifies the highest and lowest categories, but it lacks a broader summary of overall trends across the decade. Body paragraphs report specific figures—such as percentages for "several times a week" and "once a week"—yet some of the data references are slightly confused or imprecise, such as stating that percentages reached "about 32%, 33% in 2006 and 27% in 2013" for once a week. The selection of data is relevant, but the lack of deeper comparisons and occasional inaccuracies in reporting keep the task achievement at this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text is organized with a clear overall arrangement, dividing the response into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. However, logical progression is sometimes hindered by mechanical or faulty cohesion. Transitional phrases and connectors are used, but referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the abrupt transitions between categories within the body paragraphs. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion within paragraphs feels disjointed, with sentences listing data points rather than smoothly connecting ideas and comparisons. To progress, the writer needs to ensure that cohesive devices link sentences and ideas more fluidly and that the logical flow between overall trends and specific data points is seamless.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic statistical trends and categories. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as "significant increase" and "decline," but these attempts are occasionally marred by imprecise word choice or awkward collocation, such as "never eating types" instead of the category "never." Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to understand the intended meaning. To reach a higher band, the writer should employ a wider range of precise lexical items and demonstrate better control over less common vocabulary and collocations related to data reporting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt at varied structures. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly with article usage and prepositions, such as "the people in USA" and "reaching to 25%." Complex sentence structures often contain errors or awkward phrasing, such as "when people used to go few times in a year." While these errors rarely completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to detract from the overall fluency and accuracy of the writing. Improving control over complex sentence patterns and grammatical precision will be essential for future progress.

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