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 bar chart illustrates the porprotion of American, frequently having fast foods, from 2003 to 2013.

Overall, most American are eating fast foods as often as once a week or once or twice a month whereas very least number of people are cosuming it daily or not having at all.

The people having fast foods once a week in 2003, 2006 and 2013 is just more than 30%, more than 30% and more than 25% respectively

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the chart’s subject and give a broad overview, noting that weekly and monthly visits were common while daily visits and never eating fast food were least common. However, the response reports only one category in detail: once a week, at approximately 31%, 33% and 28%. It omits the other key categories and changes over time, including the shift from once-a-week visits being highest in 2003 and 2006 to monthly visits being highest in 2013. The overview is also imprecise: “most” suggests a majority, although neither category alone represents most people. The response is substantially below the required 150 words, so it cannot provide the fuller summary and comparisons the task requires. Include a clear overview and several accurate comparisons across the years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic, recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview beginning with “Overall,” and a sentence giving figures for one category. This helps the reader follow the limited information presented. However, there is little progression beyond that single comparison, and the final sentence feels incomplete as a report because it does not connect the figures to other categories or explain the main changes. Cohesive links between years and categories are largely absent. Develop separate paragraphs for the overview and key details, then use clear comparisons such as “by contrast” or “while” to show how the patterns differ. This would create a more complete and logically connected account.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “bar chart,” “proportion,” and “once a week,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, form, or spelling errors are noticeable: “porprotion,” “fast foods,” “cosuming,” and “very least number.” The phrase “American, frequently having fast foods” is also awkward and does not clearly describe the percentage of people in each frequency group. Use precise chart language such as “the percentage of Americans who ate at fast-food restaurants” and “the smallest proportions.” Check spelling and use natural collocations; a wider set of terms for frequency and change would help you describe the data more accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response uses a few basic sentence patterns, including a present-tense introduction and a past-tense comparison, and the main message can be understood. However, the range is limited, and errors in agreement and sentence construction recur. For example, “most American are eating” needs a plural noun and a more suitable tense, while “The people … is” has a subject–verb agreement error. The opening phrase “American, frequently having fast foods” is not formed as a complete, natural grammatical structure. The final sentence also relies on a repeated list rather than a clearly controlled comparison. Practise accurate plural subjects, past-tense reporting, and complex comparison structures such as “while the figure rose…, it later fell…”.

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