Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-14

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 4.0)

The given bar chart describes the frequency( every day, several times a week, once a week, once or twice a week, a few times a year, never) of people dinning out at fast food restaurants of USA in a decade from 2003 to 2013.

Overall, most of the people choose to eat at

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The response identifies the chart’s subject and time span, and it begins an overview with “Overall,” showing some awareness that the main features should be summarised. However, the overview is unfinished (“most of the people choose to eat at”), and no usable comparisons or figures are reported. The category list also changes “once or twice a month” to “once or twice a week,” so it does not accurately reproduce the chart. The response is largely incomplete rather than a summary of the data, and it contains only 53 words against the required minimum of 150. To improve, complete the overview and report the main patterns with accurate comparisons across the three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: the opening sentence introduces the chart, followed by a separate overview beginning with “Overall.” This gives the reader a simple starting structure. However, the overview stops mid-sentence, and there is no body paragraph to develop or sequence the information. As a result, the response has little progression and the relationship between the listed categories and the unfinished main point is unclear. Use a complete introduction, a concise overview, and one or two paragraphs grouping the key comparisons. Linking phrases such as “by contrast” or “while” can help connect changes across years without making the writing feel like a list.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some relevant topic vocabulary, including “bar chart,” “frequency,” and “fast food restaurants,” so the subject is generally recognisable. However, the range is very limited, and several choices are inaccurate or awkward: “people dinning out” is not the natural expression here, while “of USA” and “in a decade from” are imprecise. The category “once or twice a week” also mislabels the chart’s monthly frequency. These issues reduce precision, especially in a short response with no data description. Aim for accurate chart language such as “the proportion of people,” “ate at fast-food restaurants,” and “once or twice a month,” and use comparison vocabulary to describe the main patterns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response shows an attempt at a complex opening sentence, with the chart’s subject and period included, and the phrase “Overall, most of the people choose…” begins a second sentence. However, the first sentence is difficult to follow because the category list interrupts the sentence structure, and the second sentence is incomplete. There is little evidence of controlled variety because the response ends before any full comparisons are developed. Check sentence boundaries and ensure each sentence has a complete main clause; for example, finish the overview with a clear statement about the most common frequencies. Also review article and preposition patterns in phrases such as “of USA” and “in a decade from 2003 to 2013.”

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.