Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The bar chart illustrates how frequently american citizens ate in a fast food restaurant from 2003 till 2013.

Around 30% of the poeple ate fast food atleas once or twice a week and approximatley 5% of the population either ate fastfood every single day or not even once.

In 2003, close to 5% people ate junk food every day and just above 15% of the people ate sever times a week. With more than 30% once a week is the highest that people eat from outside. 30% of the people ate once or twice a month which is follwed by around 15% people eating fast food a few times a year. The remaining 5% poeple never ate from outside.

In 2006 and 2013 only 3% of the poeple ate fast food everyday whereas, 20% and 12% of the citizens ate several times a week. 2006 recorded the highes population of 34% eating once a week and 2013 recorded the highest population of 34% eating once or twice a month from restaurants.15% was same for 2006 and 2013 for people eating few times a year and 4% was the lowest recorded for people who never ate from fast food restaurants.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and report several relevant comparisons, including the leading weekly/monthly categories and the low daily and never figures. However, the overview is unclear and contains a misleading statement: “Around 30%” appears to combine people eating once or twice a week, although the chart separates these categories and the figures vary by year. Some data are also inaccurate: in 2013, several-times-a-week eating was 16%, not 12%, and the 2006 weekly peak was 33%, rather than 34%. The claim that about 5% never ate fast food is broadly close, but the chart shows roughly 3.5–4.5% across the years. Select the main overall shifts and report each year’s figures more carefully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, a brief general statement, and year-based details. This gives the reader some organisation, and the chronological grouping is a sensible way to present the data. However, progression is uneven because the overview does not clearly summarise the main trends, while the final paragraph moves between 2006 and 2013 without consistently distinguishing the figures. For example, “20% and 12%” is not clearly mapped to the two years, and the sentence beginning “2006 recorded…” runs directly into the 2013 comparison. Use a concise overview, then group comparisons by category or year, with clear linking phrases and punctuation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the general subject, including “bar chart,” “population,” and “ate fast food.” However, the range is limited and some choices are informal or imprecise for an academic report. “Junk food” and “ate from outside” do not accurately describe the chart’s measure of restaurant frequency, while “the highest that people eat” is an awkward way to describe a proportion. Spelling errors such as “poeple,” “atleas,” “approximatley,” “sever,” and “follwed” are noticeable and reduce accuracy. Prefer consistent, neutral terms such as “people,” “frequency,” and “ate at fast-food restaurants,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, and the main message is generally understandable. However, control is inconsistent, particularly in sentence construction and punctuation. The fragment “With more than 30% once a week is the highest…” lacks a clear grammatical structure; it could be written as “At just over 30%, eating once a week was the most common frequency in 2003.” The sentence beginning “In 2006 and 2013 only 3%…” also needs clearer separation and parallel phrasing, and “whereas” is incorrectly followed by a comma. There are also missing articles and awkward constructions, as in “close to 5% people.” Aim for complete sentences, consistent past-tense reporting, and careful punctuation around comparisons.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.