Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-05

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 given bar chat illustrates the how people significantly in the USA ate in public restaurants amoung 2003 and 2013.

Overall, it is clear that eating fast food once or twice a month was one of the most common habits throughouts the period.In contrast, eating fast food everyday was consistently the least common option. There were also some changes in the frequency of weekly and monthly consumption over the ten-year period.

In 2003, approximately 30% americans ate the fast food once a week and was the same for once or twice a month similarly, in 2006 the no of people increased gradually almost 35% and fall down fastly for once or twice a month whereas in 2013 the percentage of eating fast food once a week decline by 28% once or twice a month went up slowly above 30%.

Furthermore, Several times a week and a few times a year are almost the similar in 2003 and 2013 the consumption several times a week was the same however in 2006 its increased and reached about 20%. A few times a year in 2003 it was about 12% and the usage of fast food in 2006 and 2013 was the same.

At the last, the consumption of eating fast food in everyday life and never was almost the similar with the ration below 5% over the years for [redacted phone].

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the years. There is a clear overview provided in the second paragraph, identifying key trends such as the popularity of eating fast food once or twice a month and the consistency of everyday consumption. However, some ideas are under-developed or lack precision. For instance, the discussion of data in the body paragraphs contains inaccuracies and vague descriptions, such as stating that '30% americans ate the fast food once a week and was the same for once or twice a month' when the chart shows distinct percentages. Furthermore, some data points are grouped confusingly. While the main trends are visible, the support and extension of ideas remain limited in places, preventing a higher evaluation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a recognisable introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used to separate different categories of data. However, progression is sometimes hindered by mechanical or faulty cohesion, such as 'At the last' instead of a standard transitional phrase. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, leaving the reader to puzzle over how sentences connect. Cohesive devices are sometimes over-used or inaccurate, and the flow between individual data points can feel disjointed rather than logically sequenced throughout. These lapses keep the organisation at a developing level where relationships between ideas are not fully smooth.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating basic trends and categories from the chart. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items and functional verbs, such as 'consumption', 'gradually', and 'decline'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word form, such as 'bar chat' instead of chart, 'amoung' instead of among, 'throughouts' instead of throughout, and 'fall down fastly' instead of drop sharply. Spelling and lexical errors occur regularly, though they generally do not completely impede communication. To reach a higher standard, the writer needs to demonstrate more precision and control over less common lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like relative clauses and comparative statements. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text. Issues include missing prepositions or articles, such as '30% americans ate the fast food', incorrect verb tenses and agreement like 'its increased', and run-on sentences lacking proper punctuation. Although these errors rarely impede overall communication, their frequency means that error-free sentences are not in the majority. A stronger grasp of basic grammatical patterns and punctuation rules is needed to elevate the accuracy of the writing.

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