Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-20

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 graph illustrates how USA citizens ate fast food resturants between 2003 and 2013. Overall, the bar graph shows the maximum percentage of persons who ate in 2006 and minimum percentage of people in 2013.

In 2003, the maximum percentage of people who ate fast food from resturants , once a week was 30 percent, which was maximum in 2003. The percentage of those who ate fast food from restruants on daily basis was around 5 percent also, the percentage of those who ate several times a week was approximately 17 percent and 30 percent ate twice a week. Some people also ate few times in a year and their percentage was 13 percent approximately, also there are those individual who never ate fast food and their percentage was only 5 percent. While in 2006, those who ate everyday are just 3 percent which was minimumm in 2006, and those individuals who ate once a week was around 35 percent which was maximum in 2006, and those who visit resturants for fast food several times a week was 20 percent. In 2006, there was also thise individual who ate fast food from resturants once or twice a week was 25 percent and there is also those individuals who visit resturants few times a year was less than 15 percent and those who never visit resturants for fast food was only 4 percent.

In 2013, those who ate from resturants on daily basis are just 3 percent which was the minumum, and those individuals who ate fast food from resturants once or twice a month was more than 30 percent. In 2013, those who ate fast fast food several times a week was 16 percent approximately, and those who ate once a week was less than 30 percent. Those individials who ate few times a year was only 15 percent and those who never ate fast food from resturants was less than 5 percent

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You cover all three years and include several relevant categories, such as weekly, monthly and infrequent visits. However, the overview is inaccurate: saying the maximum percentage occurred in 2006 and the minimum in 2013 does not identify a clear overall pattern, and the chart’s highest category is once a week in 2006, not the total percentage of people eating out. Some figures are misreported: once a week in 2003 was 31%, not 30%; in 2006 it was 33%, not around 35%; and the 2006 monthly figure was 25%, not “once or twice a week.” The 2013 monthly figure is approximately 33%. Select the main comparisons and report them accurately, with a concise overview of the shift from weekly to monthly visits.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic chronological structure: it discusses 2003, then 2006, and finally 2013, so readers can follow the time periods. However, most information is placed in long, crowded paragraphs, and the repeated pattern of “those who ate…” makes the account feel like a list rather than a comparison. Linking words such as “also” and “and” are used repeatedly, while contrasts between years are rarely made explicit. The overview is separated at the beginning, but it does not guide the details effectively. Use a clear overview followed by two organised detail paragraphs, grouping similar frequencies and directly comparing years; this would create a more consistent progression and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the chart’s subject, including “percentage,” “daily basis,” and “once or twice a month.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are repeated, particularly “those individuals who ate fast food from restaurants.” Some word choices are inaccurate or awkward: “maximum percentage of persons who ate” is unclear, and “ate twice a week” does not match the chart’s monthly category. Spelling errors such as “resturants,” “restruants,” “minimumm,” and “individials” are noticeable and reduce precision. Use concise chart language such as “the proportion of people,” “dined out,” and “monthly visits,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt longer sentences with clauses joined by “which,” “while,” and “and,” but these structures are often difficult to control. For example, “In 2003, the maximum percentage of people who ate fast food from resturants, once a week was 30 percent” has an awkward clause structure and punctuation, while “there are those individual who never ate” shifts tense and has a singular-plural mismatch. Similar problems recur in phrases such as “those who ate once a week was around 35 percent.” The response relies heavily on repeated sentence patterns, and errors in agreement, tense, articles and punctuation sometimes make relationships unclear. Practise shorter, accurate comparison sentences first, then combine them using controlled subordinate clauses.

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.