Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-09

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 given bar graph gives information about a survey for people of USA how they eat fast food in restaurants. between 2003 and 2014.

Overall, the number of once or twice a month and once a week was very high in all years. While, the quantity of every day and never is very low in this period.

Firstly, the bar graph is about frequency of eating at fast food restaurants among people in USA between three years. Every day and never percentage in three years was less than 5%, in several times a week every was almost less than 20%. A few times coming was lower to 15% specially in 2003.

Secondly, once a week value was above to 30% but in 2013 it was decreased. In the population of once or twice a month was little bit up and down in middle time was 25%. A huge increased was in 2006 and in 2003 for only two types of human.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad pattern that weekly and monthly visits were the most common, while daily visits and never eating fast food were uncommon. You also mention the decline in weekly eating by 2013. However, several details are unclear or inaccurate: the period is 2003–2013, not 2003–2014, and “a huge increased was in 2006 and in 2003” does not identify a supported trend. The overview would be stronger if it stated that monthly visits became the most common category in 2013, while weekly visits peaked in 2006 before falling. Some figures are reported vaguely, so the main comparisons are only partly developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic structure, with an overview followed by two paragraphs introduced by “Firstly” and “Secondly.” This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the first detail paragraph moves between daily, never, weekly and yearly frequencies, while the final sentence is difficult to connect to the preceding comparison. Linking words such as “While” and “Secondly” are sometimes used mechanically or without a clear relationship between ideas. Group the categories into meaningful comparisons—for example, the most common frequencies and the least common ones—and use clear references to the years so each point follows logically.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “frequency,” “percentage,” “decreased” and “increased,” and the reader can generally recognise the categories being discussed. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning unclear, such as “A few times coming,” “the population of once or twice a month,” and “two types of human.” “The quantity” is also not a natural way to describe the proportion of people in a chart. Use precise chart language such as “the proportion of respondents,” “the share who ate fast food,” and “rose/fell to.” These choices would make the comparisons more accurate and easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “While” and a clause beginning “but in 2013.” However, errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships difficult to follow. For example, “The given bar graph gives information about a survey for people of USA how they eat” has faulty clause structure, and “Every day and never percentage in three years was” has problems with articles, number agreement and sentence construction. Tense and agreement are also inconsistent in phrases such as “once a week value was above to 30%” and “it was decreased.” Practise forming clear subject–verb sentences and use past-tense verbs consistently when describing the chart.

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