Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-18

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 6.5)

The pie chart illustrates the frequency of eating at fast food restaurants by people of USA during the period of ten years.

Overall, the highest figures accounted for two categories i.e; once a week and once or twice a month, while the lowest frequency were found in also two categories i.e; every day and never.

Looking first at the highest categories, the proportions stood at around 30% in 2003 for both of them, before witnessing a rise in once a week to above 30% and a decline in once a month to 25% in 2006. This was followed by a gradual decrease in the frequency for once a week to below 30% and significant rise in the frequency of once a moth to over 30% in 2013.

Turning to the next two categories i.e; several times a week and a few times a year, a similar pattern can be observed in the both groups, with the former starting at above 15% and ending at around 15%, and the latter starting at below 15% and culminating the period at 15%. Meanwhile, the remaining two groups followed a contrasting pattern, both having frequency under 5% throughout the given timeperiod.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main pattern well: weekly and monthly visits were the most common, while daily visits and never eating out were the least common. The overview is relevant, and the body includes useful comparisons across all three years. Several figures and trends are also accurately described, such as weekly visits peaking in 2006 and monthly visits rising to their highest level in 2013. However, some details are imprecise: the two leading categories were not both around 30% in every year, and the claim that the lowest categories had a “contrasting pattern” is not supported because both remained below 5%. The response covers the task, but some comparisons are less fully developed than others. More precise year-by-year figures and clearer descriptions of changes would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall progression: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs grouping the most common, middle-frequency and least common categories. This makes the information easy to follow, and transitions such as “Looking first” and “Meanwhile” help signal shifts between groups. The comparisons within the main categories are generally ordered chronologically. Some linking is less effective, however: “This was followed by” is vague about which category or change it refers to, and “a similar pattern” is not quite accurate for the two middle-frequency groups. The repeated “i.e.” constructions also make the overview feel slightly mechanical. More explicit references to each category and more precise links between trends would make the progression smoother and cohesion more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing chart data, including “proportions,” “gradual decrease,” “significant rise,” and “culminating.” These choices show an attempt to move beyond basic wording, and the meaning is generally clear. Some expressions are inaccurate or awkward, though: “the highest figures accounted for two categories” is not a natural way to describe the data, and “culminating the period at 15%” is an unsuitable collocation. There are also spelling errors in “moth” and “timeperiod,” while “frequency” is repeated where “proportion” or “percentage” would be more precise. Aim for natural chart-reporting collocations and check spelling; this would make the vocabulary more precise and controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of sentence forms, including complex structures with “before,” “while,” and “with,” and most of the trends remain understandable. The opening and several comparison sentences are grammatically clear. Some errors persist in agreement, articles and sentence construction: “the lowest frequency were found” should use a singular verb or a plural subject, “people of USA” needs an article, and “in the both groups” has an unnecessary article. The phrase “a significant rise in the frequency of once a moth” also makes the sentence structure difficult to follow. Punctuation around “i.e.” is inconsistent. Greater control of these details, while retaining the complex comparisons, would improve accuracy.

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