Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-19

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 5.5)

This bar chart illustrates the change of individuals eating habits in fast food restaurants in the USA between 2003 and 2013.

Overall, (once a week/once or twice a month) was most popular frequency of eating habit at fast food resturants respectivally. In contrast (Everday/Never) was least popular while (several times a week/ a few times a year) was moderate over the period.

In 2003, the highest percentage accounted for 31% individual goes out to eat fast food once a week followed by once or twice a month at second to 30% while the lowest was 4% and 5% for every day and never. Several times a week and Few times a year represented by 17% and 13%.

By 2006, Once a week remained surged to 33%, the number of once or twice a month fallen to 25% meanwhile Every day and Never dipped into 3% and 4%. Several times a week rosed from 17% to 20% and few times a year increased from 13% to 15%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main categories and report several relevant figures, including the weekly peak in 2006 and the rise in monthly dining by 2013. However, the response only partially covers the period: it stops after describing 2006 and gives no account of the 2013 results, despite the chart spanning all three years. The overview is also unclear because the bracketed alternatives (“once a week/once or twice a month” and “Everyday/Never”) do not state which category was most or least popular in each year. To strengthen the report, give a clear overview of the main shifts and include the 2013 figures, especially the monthly category becoming the most common.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and separate paragraphs for 2003 and 2006. This makes the information reasonably easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “while,” “followed by” and “meanwhile” help show comparisons. However, the overview’s slash-separated alternatives make the relationships between categories difficult to understand, and the report ends without a paragraph on 2013, so progression across the full time period is incomplete. Some links are also awkwardly applied, as in “By 2006, Once a week remained surged.” Organise the body around all three years and use clear comparisons to connect changes from one year to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “highest,” “lowest,” “increased” and “dipped,” and the reader can generally understand the categories being compared. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “change of individuals eating habits,” “most popular frequency of eating habit,” and “represented by.” There are also spelling errors in “resturants,” “respectivally” and “ro sed” (intended as “rose”), which reduce precision. Aim for straightforward, accurate phrases such as “the proportion of people who ate out” and “accounted for.” Check spelling and use the chart’s category labels consistently rather than varying them in ways that may blur their meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including comparisons joined with “while” and “meanwhile,” and the main figures are usually understandable. However, some sentence structures and verb forms are faulty: “31% individual goes out” needs a plural noun and a suitable past-tense construction, while “the number … fallen to 25%” is missing an auxiliary verb. “Once a week remained surged” combines incompatible verb patterns, and the opening overview uses parentheses in place of a complete sentence. Use consistent past-tense reporting and check subject–verb agreement, articles and auxiliary verbs. More controlled sentence construction would make the comparisons clearer while retaining variety.

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