Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-07

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 information about the individuals who consume fast food in restaurants in the USA for the time period of one decade that was from 2003 to 2013, is illustrated by the bar graph

Overall, it is conspicuous that the large proportion of individuals ate fast food once in a week. Whereas, small number of people consume everyday or few times a year.

To begin with, merely 4%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the chart’s subject and period, and its overview correctly notes that weekly eating was common. However, it does not provide a meaningful summary of the data: the unfinished sentence, “To begin with, merely 4%”, gives no category or comparison, and the response omits the main changes across 2003, 2006 and 2013. It also does not report the prominent shift from once a week being the most common frequency in 2003 and 2006 to once or twice a month in 2013. The required minimum of 150 words is not met, leaving the task substantially incomplete. To improve, complete the report with an overview and selected, accurate comparisons across the three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening identifies the chart, an overview follows, and “To begin with” signals the start of detail. These features give the reader some sense of structure. However, the progression stops almost immediately, with the final sentence fragment “To begin with, merely 4%” leaving the information unfinished. The contrast marker “Whereas” is also used as a separate sentence rather than linking a complete comparison, and there are no developed paragraphs or further comparisons to guide the reader through the data. Build a clear sequence—introduction, overview, then one or two paragraphs comparing key frequencies—and use linking words to connect complete ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses some relevant vocabulary, including “bar graph”, “proportion”, and “time period”, so the topic is generally understandable. There is also an attempt at more formal reporting language in “it is conspicuous”. However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise: “individuals who consume fast food in restaurants” is cumbersome, and “ate fast food once in a week” is not a natural way to describe frequency. “Consume everyday” also uses an unsuitable form for this context. The very short response provides little evidence of range or flexible use of chart vocabulary. Aim for concise, conventional expressions such as “the percentage of people who ate fast food” and “once a week”, and use terms such as “accounted for” or “rose” when reporting figures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts more than simple sentences, for example with “Overall, it is conspicuous that…” and a contrast introduced by “Whereas”. The opening also communicates the chart’s time span. However, sentence control is uneven: “Whereas, small number of people consume everyday or few times a year” is not a complete, well-formed sentence, and the opening contains awkward punctuation around “2003 to 2013”. The final line is a fragment, so it does not express a complete data point. The limited amount of writing makes it difficult to demonstrate a wider range of accurate structures. Practise writing complete comparisons with a clear subject and verb, and check articles, tense consistency and punctuation before finishing.

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