Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-06

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 5.0)

The bar chart illustrates the frequency of eating at fast food resturants among people in the usa between 2003 and 2013.

Overall, the once or twice a month and once a week is the height proportion, while never was a lowest percentange included in the table which is second lowest first was in every day fall

In, several times a week which have 20 percent in 2006, while 2013 16 percent however in 2003 it has 17 proportion number, wheras once a week at the begging it has 30 percent at the center of the point it has 33 percent at the end of the which have 27 in the fast food resturant

A few times a year it has start in 13 percent of the period,at the 2006 it has 15 percent in 2013 it has 15 percent throughout the period, while never fast food resturants among people firstly 5 percent at the point of the center it has 4 and at the end it has 4 throughout the period

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the prompt by reporting information from the bar chart regarding the frequency of eating at fast food restaurants in the USA between 2003 and 2013. However, the task is only partially addressed because the overview is extremely confused and difficult to follow, and the selection of features lacks clarity. While the writer manages to mention several figures, such as twenty percent for several times a week in 2006, the overall organisation of data is hindered by imprecise expressions and a lack of clear comparisons. Some trends are under-developed or inaccurately described, leading to a response that provides limited and unclear information. To reach a higher standard, the writer needs to present a clearer, more coherent overview of the main trends without getting bogged down in disjointed and inaccurate data points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation present in the writing, as the student attempts to group data and use transition words such as while and however. However, there is no clear overall progression, and the text reads as a collection of fragmented sentences rather than a cohesive report. Paragraphing is extremely weak, with almost the entire response crammed into a single massive, rambling paragraph that lacks logical flow. Cohesive devices are frequently inaccurate or used repetitively, such as the constant reliance on phrases like at the point of the center and throughout the period. Reference words are also confusing, making it hard for the reader to follow the progression of information. To improve, the writer should structure the response into clear paragraphs with a distinct introduction, overview, and body paragraphs, using standard cohesive devices accurately to link ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The lexical resource is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, featuring frequent misspellings and inaccurate word choices. For instance, words like resturants, height (for highest), and percentange contain spelling errors, while expressions like proportion number and the center of the point demonstrate poor collocation and style. Less common vocabulary is attempted with significant inaccuracy, causing some difficulty for the reader to decipher the intended figures. To achieve a higher band, the writer must expand their range of vocabulary, learn correct spellings for key terms related to data reporting such as proportion and percentage, and use precise lexical items to describe trends accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The grammatical range is severely limited, consisting mainly of simple structures and poorly constructed complex attempts that are frequently faulty. There are frequent errors in grammar, including missing articles, incorrect prepositions, subject-verb agreement issues, and terrible punctuation that often causes confusion. For example, sentences such as while never was a lowest percentange included in the table which is second lowest first was in every day fall and wheras once a week at the begging it has 30 percent at the center of the point it has 33 percent demonstrate a lack of control over basic clause structures and run-on sentences. These frequent errors impede communication and require the reader to slow down significantly. To improve, the writer needs to focus on constructing complete, grammatically sound sentences with proper punctuation and reliable verb forms.

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