Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 proportion of people eating in fast food restaurants in the USA from 2003 to 2013.

Overall, people was eating fast food once a week and once or twice a month accounted for the highest share over the period. In contrast, every day and never represented the lowest percentage throughout the time frame.

In 2003, people who was eating fast food every day at 4%, and 3% in both 2006 and 2013. This was followed closely by people who never ate accounted for 5% in 2003, and 4% by 2006 and 2013. While several times a week made up 20% share in 2006. However, it then fell to 16% by 2013.

Futhermore, once or twice a month experienced 30% at the beginning, but this figure declined later and reached 25% by 2006. This share saw the most dramatic growth and reached approximately 33% at the end. Once a week stood at 31% in 2003, 33% in 2003, and then decreased to 2% by 2013. Moreover a few times a year, started at 2003,and increased slightly rose to 15% in both years 2006 and 2013.

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Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart’s topic and include an overview that correctly notes the low figures for daily eating and never eating. You also report several relevant values, including the monthly category’s rise to about 33% in 2013. However, the overview is not fully accurate: once a week was not consistently among the highest categories, and the response misreports its 2013 value as 2% rather than 28%. The statement that it was 33% in 2003 also gives the wrong year; it was 33% in 2006. Some comparisons are incomplete, and the figures for several times a week in 2003 and a few times a year are not clearly covered. Select the main trends accurately and check each year-value pairing before writing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and phrases such as “In contrast” and “Furthermore” show an attempt to connect ideas. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is uneven: categories and years are sometimes mixed together, making comparisons difficult to follow. For example, the sentence beginning “This was followed closely” shifts from daily eating to never eating, then the next sentence introduces a different frequency without a clear comparison. “While” and “However” are also used in ways that do not always establish a clear relationship. Group the categories by trend and use precise references to make each comparison easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of chart-related language, including “proportion,” “accounted for,” “declined,” “share,” and “dramatic growth.” These choices help you describe changes rather than simply list figures. However, some expressions are awkward or imprecise, such as “people was eating,” “experienced 30%,” and “started at 2003,” which can make the intended meaning less clear. “Futhermore” is also misspelled, and “share” is repeated several times. Aim for accurate collocations commonly used in data reporting, such as “the proportion who ate…” and “stood at…”. Varying these phrases while keeping them precise would make the vocabulary more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and more complex sentences, including contrast clauses with “but” and “while.” However, errors occur frequently and sometimes make the data difficult to interpret. Subject–verb agreement is incorrect in “people was eating” and “people who was eating”; the opening of the daily-eating sentence also lacks a clear main verb (“people … at 4%”). The sentence “Once a week stood at 31% in 2003, 33% in 2003” contains a repeated year, while “a few times a year, started at 2003” has faulty sentence structure and tense. Use complete clauses with consistent past-tense reporting, and check agreement and punctuation when combining comparisons.

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