Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-13

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 data regarding the frequency of temptation among the people in the USA to have their food from fast food restaurants over a decade.

In 2003, merely less than 5% of people had food from restaurants every day. However, the percentage was more than three times in the case of people took food in several times a week. A similar pattern followed by people taking fast food once in week. Further, the peercentage of people ate fast food once or twice a month slightly declined. It was notable that this patten was continued by those who had fast food a feww tims a week and never.

After 3 years, there was no considerable pattern shift in the frequency habits of people in the USA.

On the other hand, in the year 2006 the percentage of people took fast food everyday was same as that of in 2003. Similarly, the bar rose in the percentage of people eating several times a week and once in week. Surprisingly, a dramatic growth in the percentage of people having fast food in once or twice a month was noticeable. in case of a few times a year and never taking fast food remained constant to 2003.

To sum up, the percentage of people having food once a week or twice a month was increased over time. While,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response identifies the general topic and mentions several frequency categories, but it reports the chart only partially and does not give a clear, accurate overview of the main changes. Some comparisons are incorrect: in 2003, eating once a week and once or twice a month were both around 30%, not a pattern that can be described as simply following the several-times-a-week figure. The claim that monthly eating “slightly declined” is not anchored to a clear comparison, and the statement that a few times a year and never “continued” the same pattern is unclear. The account of 2006 also conflicts with the chart: the monthly figure fell from 30% to 25%, rather than showing dramatic growth. Include the 2013 figures and highlight the shift from weekly to monthly eating.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is an attempt to organise the response into paragraphs and use linking expressions such as “However,” “Further,” and “To sum up.” However, the progression is difficult to follow because the years are not presented in a consistent order: the response discusses 2003, then says “After 3 years,” and then returns to 2006. The sentence about no considerable pattern shift is also followed by claims that describe changes, creating a contradiction. Several references, including “this pattern” and “the bar,” do not make clear which category or year is meant. The conclusion is unfinished (“While,”), so it does not provide a complete summary. Group the information by year or by frequency, and use clear comparisons to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some task-related vocabulary, including “percentage,” “frequency,” “declined,” and “dramatic growth,” showing an attempt to describe data rather than simply list categories. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning unclear, such as “frequency of temptation,” “had their food from fast food restaurants,” and “the bar rose in the percentage.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “peercentage,” “patten,” and “f feww tims,” which reduce clarity. Aim for precise chart language and avoid repeating “people having food.” For example, use “the proportion of people who ate fast food” and verbs such as “rose,” “fell,” or “remained stable” with the relevant category and year.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some longer sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “However” and “While,” but control is inconsistent and errors sometimes make relationships between ideas hard to understand. Examples include “the percentage was more than three times in the case of people took food” and “the percentage of people took fast food everyday,” where the verb patterns are incomplete. Articles and prepositions are also often missing or misplaced, as in “once in week” and “in once or twice a month.” Sentence boundaries and capitalization need attention: “in case” begins a sentence with a lowercase letter, and the final “While,” clause is left incomplete. Use straightforward, complete sentences first, then add accurate comparisons with clauses such as “whereas” or “while.”

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