Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The information about the individuals who often ate in fast food restaurants in the USA in the one decade which was from 2003 to 2013, is illustrated by the bar graph.

Overall, the largest proportion of people who cosume food at the re

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The response begins by identifying the chart’s subject and period, and it attempts an overview with “Overall,”. However, it ends mid-sentence at “people who cosume food at the re…”, so it does not communicate a complete overview or report any usable comparisons or figures. The chart’s key pattern—weekly or monthly visits being most common, with daily eating and never eating among the least common categories—is not explained. The response is also substantially below the required 150 words, leaving the task only minimally addressed. To improve, complete the overview and select several accurate comparisons across 2003, 2006 and 2013, supported by approximate percentages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an introductory sentence is followed by “Overall,”, which could introduce the main trends. This gives the reader a small amount of signposting. However, the response stops during that overview, so there is no completed progression from introduction to summary and supporting details, and no paragraphing to distinguish these functions. The unfinished phrase “people who cosume food at the re…” also leaves the central idea unclear. Develop a complete overview, then use a separate paragraph for selected comparisons; connect related figures with clear references such as “by contrast” or “whereas”.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some task-relevant vocabulary, including “bar graph,” “proportion,” and “fast food restaurants,” so the topic is recognisable. It also attempts a more formal opening with “is illustrated.” However, the vocabulary range is very limited in this short response, and “individuals who often ate” is an awkward way to describe the chart’s categories of eating frequency. There is also a spelling error in “cosume,” and the unfinished phrase “at the re…” prevents the intended wording from being understood. Use precise terms such as “percentage,” “frequency,” and “ate out,” and check spelling and collocations when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The opening sentence shows an attempt at a complex structure: “The information …, is illustrated by the bar graph.” The response also uses a past-tense reference to the period, which is appropriate for the historical data. However, the comma between the subject and verb is incorrect, and the sentence is awkwardly constructed. The second sentence is incomplete, ending at “people who cosume food at the re…”, so it does not form a complete grammatical statement. The very limited sample makes it difficult to demonstrate a range of accurate structures. Write complete sentences, avoid separating a subject from its verb with a comma, and use a clear pattern such as “The chart shows how often people ate at fast-food restaurants.”

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