Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The given chart illustrates how frequently people in the USA ate in fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013.

Overall, it is clear that the frequency of eating fast food once a week and once or twice a month is most common habbits in people. In contrast, eating fast every day and never was the least common choice.

Looking first at eating fast food once a week, the figure stood at around 31% in 2003. The percentage then rose to almost 33% in 2003, before dropping to approximately 27%. Meanwhile, frequency of eating once or twice a month began at 30% and then dropped to 25%, before hitting the peak of 34% by the end of the period.

Turning to the frequency of eating fast food a few times a year, the figure started at about 12% and then increased to 15%. The percentage then remained stable throughout the period. Meanwhile, the percentage everyday eating stood at about 4% in 2003, but then decreased to almost 3% in 2006 and 2013. Likewise, never began at about 5% and then fell to almost 4% in 2006 and 2013.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern that weekly and monthly visits were the most common, while daily visits and never eating fast food were least common. You also report several relevant figures and describe the monthly category’s fall and later rise. However, there is a significant date error: the weekly figure rose to about 33% in 2006, not “in 2003.” Its 2013 value was about 28%, rather than 27%. The overview could also be more precise: monthly visits became the most common category in 2013, while weekly visits led in 2003 and 2006. The account of several-times-a-week visits is omitted, leaving an important category unreported. A clearer overview and more accurate, complete selection of key comparisons would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing groups of categories. Sequencing phrases such as “Looking first” and “Turning to” help guide the reader through the data, and comparisons are generally easy to follow. However, the final paragraph groups three distinct categories together, and the several-times-a-week category is not covered, so the progression through the chart feels incomplete. Some linking is also repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “Meanwhile,” and the overview’s broad statement is not followed by a fully balanced account of the main trends. Organise the details more systematically—for example, by grouping the most frequent categories and then the less frequent ones—and vary transitions to make the progression more natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “stood at,” “rose,” “dropping,” “hitting the peak,” and “remained stable,” which helps describe changes rather than merely list figures. Most of the meaning is clear, but some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward. “Most common habbits in people” is not a natural way to describe the categories, and “eating fast every day” is unclear; “daily fast-food consumption” would be more precise. The phrase “the percentage everyday eating” is also awkwardly formed. Check spelling, as “habbits” should be “habits,” and use consistent terms such as “frequency” or “proportion” when describing the chart. More precise collocations would improve clarity and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses with “before” and “while,” and the past-tense reporting is generally understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, but they rarely prevent the reader from following the comparisons. For example, “the frequency … is most common habbits” has an unclear sentence structure, and “the percentage everyday eating stood” is missing a grammatical link between the subject and the activity. In “rose to almost 33% in 2003,” the date also conflicts with the chart’s sequence and should be 2006; ensure that tense and time references match the data. There is also an extra space in “frequency of eating.” Aim for complete, well-formed noun phrases and check each sentence’s subject and verb.

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