Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The given chart illustrates the percent distribution of people choosing to eat in fast food restauratns between year 2003 and 2013 where frequency ranges from every day to never.

It can be observed from the chart that majority of people chose 'once a week' or 'once or twice a month' while very few ate every day or never in all the given years.

A major shift in trend can be seen in 'once a week' and 'Once or wtice a month' frequencies' between the years' 2006 and 2013.

For people eating every day their percent reamined almost identitical at less than 5%. Similarly for the other it remained at less than 5% over the years.

For majority of population eating once a week or once or twice a month, it can be observed that in year 2006 former remained highest with being just below 35% while in the latter year 2013 grew higher indicating a change of eating habits with people choosing to eat less frequently at fast food chain restaurants. Howeveer for several times a week and A few times a year, the percent stays stable at around 15% for all years

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 categories of the chart. The overview captures the general trend effectively, noting that 'once a week' and 'once or twice a month' were the most popular frequencies, while extremes like eating every day or never were uncommon. However, some parts of the response are under-developed or lack full clarity. For instance, the discussion of minor categories is a bit vague, stating that 'for the other it remained at less than 5%', and the phrasing regarding the 2006 and 2013 shift is slightly confused. To reach a higher level, the response would need to extend and support all selected data points with greater precision, ensuring every comparison is fully articulated without ambiguity.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a logical sequence of ideas, moving from an introductory statement to an overview, and then into more specific data details. Paragraphing is used to separate different aspects of the visual data. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, and referencing is not always clear, leading to occasional awkwardness. For example, sentences such as 'Similarly for the other it remained at less than 5% over the years' lack a clear antecedent for 'the other'. Cohesive devices are also applied rather rigidly, with transitions like 'Howeveer' containing spelling issues and failing to establish smooth logical bridges between the detailed points. Better management of referencing and smoother transitional phrasing would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the main features of the chart with terms like 'percent distribution', 'shift in trend', and 'stable'. The writer attempts less common vocabulary items, but this is accompanied by some inaccuracy in word choice, collocation, and spelling. For instance, 'restauratns' and 'Howeveer' contain spelling errors, while phrases like 'former remained highest with being just below 35%' display awkward phrasing and unnatural collocation. Additionally, word form slips occur, such as writing 'wtice' instead of 'twice'. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the lexical score from rising higher. A wider, more precise control of less common vocabulary and closer attention to spelling and word forms are needed for the next level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct multi-clause sentences such as 'It can be observed from the chart that majority of people chose...' and 'For majority of population eating once a week..., it can be observed that...'. However, there are some errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text. These include missing articles ('the majority of people', 'the majority of the population'), minor prepositional slips, and punctuation lapses, such as missing commas after introductory phrases. While these errors rarely impede communication, they persist across the text and prevent the response from achieving a higher band. Incorporating a wider variety of error-free complex structures with tighter control over articles and punctuation would improve this area.

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

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