Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-11

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 represents how is popular eating at fast food in USA.

Overall, in this picture there are three years (2003, 2006 and 2013) and different frequency on days, weeks and years. Measure in percentage of people.

One of the biggest figure is once or twice a month in 2013 over that 30% and once a week same position but in the 2006. This two frequency is the higest in the bar chart in all year in this the lowest is 2006 in once or twice a month.

On the other hand, people did not consume every day fast food because the bart in all year is under five percentage and Never is similar under 5 percetage but in 2003 is on five percentage. For example a few times a year in 2003 is between 10% and 15% then increase garadually in the next years 2006 and 2013 with 15%.

Next rank, it is several time a week with percentage between 15% and 20%.

Another interesting point is once a week in 2003 and 2006 is over 30% comparated with 2013 is over 30%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and make several relevant comparisons, including the high figures for weekly or monthly visits and the low proportions who ate fast food every day or never. However, the overview is vague: it mainly says the chart covers different frequencies, rather than summarising the main pattern across the years. Some details are inaccurate or unclear. For example, you say that once a week in 2013 was “over 30%,” whereas it was about 28%; you also describe the 2003 figure for never eating fast food as “on five percentage,” although it was about 4.5%. The final comparison repeats the same inaccurate claim. Select the clearest trends and report the figures precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has paragraph breaks and uses basic signposting such as “Overall,” “On the other hand,” and “Next rank,” so the reader can recognise an attempt to organise the information. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the overview does not establish the main trends, and the later paragraphs move between categories without a clear grouping or comparison. “One of the biggest figure” and “Another interesting point” introduce ideas, but the relationships between them are not always easy to follow. Some linking phrases are also used awkwardly or do not signal a meaningful contrast. Group the data into clear patterns—for example, frequent visits, monthly visits, and the least common frequencies—and use references that make each comparison explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “percentage,” “frequency,” “increase,” and “highest,” and the reader can generally identify the categories being discussed. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the description unclear, such as “how is popular eating at fast food,” “different frequency on days, weeks and years,” and “same position.” Spelling errors, including “higest,” “percetage,” and “garadually,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for standard chart language and use precise terms for the categories and changes. For instance, describe the proportion of people who ate at a restaurant “once or twice a month,” rather than referring vaguely to a “position.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the response is usually possible to understand. However, grammatical control is uneven, particularly in sentence formation and comparisons. The opening, “The bar chart represents how is popular eating at fast food in USA,” has an incorrect question-like word order and an incomplete expression. In “This two frequency is the higest,” the demonstrative and verb do not agree with the plural noun. The final sentence also compares 2003 and 2006 with 2013 unclearly, while repeating “over 30%.” Articles and prepositions are sometimes missing or awkward, as in “in USA” and “in all year.” Practise building accurate comparison sentences, such as “The figure for weekly visits was higher in 2003 and 2006 than in 2013.”

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