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 illustration gives information about the frequency of eating at fast food restaurants among people in USA between 2003 and 2013. Overall, eating everyday, a few times a year and never were in equal ratio in 2006 and 2013. Highest digit of 32% showed for those whos eat once a weak in 2006.

It is quite evident from the bar graph which showed relationship between the % of people and frequency of eating meals. In 2006 and 2013 everyday eating was both the same and in 2003, had high percentage of 4%. Eating several times a weak had almost equal ratio in 2003 and 2013 with slightly greater in 2006 which was 20%. Eating once a week and once a twice a month were almost equal in 2003 and had greater ratio in 2006 and 2013 relatively.

Furthermore, eating few times a day was both same in 2006 and 2013 and slightly low percentage in 2003. Finally the people whos never go to restaurants had same percentage in 2006 and 2013 with slightly greater in 2003 which is 5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the task by reporting information from the chart, but it only partially covers the data and features present. While there is an opening attempt at an overview, the selection of data points lacks thoroughness and clarity. For instance, the writer notes that 'eating everyday, a few times a year and never were in equal ratio in 2006 and 2013', which is partially inaccurate and insufficiently elaborated. Furthermore, specific data reporting contains errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'Highest digit of 32% showed for those whos eat once a weak in 2006', missing key comparative trends across the three surveyed years. To reach a higher level, the response needs to select and clearly contrast the most significant trends and figures across all categories, ensuring all reported data points accurately reflect the visual information without missing major shifts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates some organisation with paragraphing and basic transitional markers like 'Overall' and 'Furthermore', but there is a lack of clear overall progression. The logical flow between sentences is occasionally hindered by repetitive structures and mechanical cohesive devices. For example, expressions like 'In 2006 and 2013 everyday eating was both the same and in 2003, had high percentage' create choppy reading and fail to guide the reader smoothly through the comparisons. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within the body paragraphs feels disjointed, as ideas are listed rather than logically developed and connected. Improving this area requires more varied cohesive devices, smoother transitions between contrasting data points, and a clearer overarching structure that links the introduction, body details, and overview together seamlessly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task, with noticeable errors that cause some difficulty for the reader. The writer relies heavily on basic terminology and simple repetitions of words from the prompt, such as 'frequency', 'eating', 'restaurants', and 'percentage'. There are several word choice, word form, and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'everyday' used instead of 'every day', 'whos' instead of 'who', and 'weak' instead of 'week'. Additionally, phrases like 'Highest digit of 32%' and 'had greater ratio' sound unnatural and lack lexical precision. To achieve a higher score, the student needs to incorporate a wider range of vocabulary, including precise synonyms and less common lexical items related to statistical reporting, while eliminating basic spelling and word-choice mistakes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The grammatical range is limited, relying mostly on simple and repetitive sentence structures with frequent errors. Attempts at more complex sentences are often faulty, leading to structural awkwardness and non-standard syntax, as seen in sentences like 'It is quite evident from the bar graph which showed relationship between the % of people and frequency of eating meals.' There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement, articles, relative clauses, and prepositions inside grammatical patterns throughout the text, such as missing articles ('in USA') and incorrect verb tenses or forms. While communication is not entirely blocked, these persistent errors cause strain for the reader. To improve, the writer should practice forming complex sentences accurately, paying close attention to verb tenses, article usage, and correct clause structures when describing statistical data.

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