Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-21
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)
THE VERTICAL BAR GRAPH DELINEATES THE DATA FROM DECADE STARTING FROM 2003 REGARDING THE INFORMATION OF HOW FREQUENTLY PEOPLE ATE FAST FOOD IN HOTELS, IN USA.
CONSIDERING FROM AN OVERALL PERSPECTIVE, IT CAN BE COMPREHENSIVELY OBSEREVED THAT IN ALL THE YEARS DEMAND OF FAST FOOD WAS OBSEREVED TO BE FLUCTUATION. HOWEVER, IN 2003 MAJORITY OF PEPOLE PREFERRED FAST FOOD ONCE A WEEK. NOTABLY, THROUGHT THE YEARS PEOPLE LESS OPTES EVERY DAY FOR CONSUMPTION OF FAST FOOD.
TO COMMENCE WITH, IN 2003, NEARLY 4% OF PEOPLE CHOSE TO FAST FOOD IN EVERY DAY WHILE IT INCRESED FOR WHO SELECTED FAST FOOD IN SEVERAL TIMES OF WEEK , WHERE IT WERE NOTICED TO BE AROUND 17% OF PEOPLE.MOREOVER IN 2006, EVERY DAY FAST FOOD CONSUPTION WAS WITNESSED SIMILARLY. BESIDES, MAJORITY OF PEOPLE PREFERRED FAST FOOD ON A ONCE A WEEK THROUGHT THE YEARS WHERE IN 2003,2006, AND 2013 IT WAS OBSEREVED TO BE NEARLY 31%,34%, and 27% , RESPECTIVELY.
FURTHERMORE, IN 2003 AND 2006 , PEOPLE WHO OPT FAST FOOD IN ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH ,WHERE FORMER HAD 30% AND LATTER HAD 25%, WHILE 2013 IT WAS RECORDED TO BE AROUND 31%. LESS THAN 5% OF PEOPLE NEVER PREFERRED FAST FOOD DURING THE ALL THE YEARS.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify several relevant patterns, including that weekly eating was prominent and that daily consumption was low, and you compare monthly figures across the years. However, the overview is not fully accurate or clear: the chart shows changes in frequency categories, not overall “demand,” and the leading category shifts from once a week in 2003 and 2006 to once or twice a month in 2013. Some figures are also misreported: weekly eating in 2006 and 2013 is about 33% and 28%, not 34% and 27%, while the 2013 monthly figure is about 33%, not 31%. Several categories, especially eating a few times a year, receive little or no coverage. A clearer overview and more accurate selection of key comparisons would strengthen the response.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs presenting details. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and phrases such as “Furthermore” signal a new point. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because several comparisons are compressed into long sentences, and the links between ideas can feel mechanical. For example, the sentence beginning “Moreover in 2006” moves from daily consumption to weekly preferences without clearly explaining the comparison. Some references, such as “former” and “latter,” require extra effort to interpret. Grouping the data by frequency pattern and using clearer sentence boundaries would make the organisation more coherent.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You attempt a range of formal reporting vocabulary, including “delineates,” “overall perspective,” “witnessed,” and “recorded.” This shows an effort to use language suited to an academic chart description. However, many choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the intended meaning unclear. For instance, “demand of fast food” does not describe the chart’s measure, and “people less optes every day” is difficult to understand. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “obsereved,” “increesed,” “consuption,” and “throught.” Aim for precise, familiar chart language such as “the proportion of people,” “ate,” “rose,” and “fell,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with clauses, and the response is generally recognisable as a description of the chart. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in articles, agreement, verb forms, and sentence construction frequently make the meaning harder to follow. Examples include “people less optes every day,” “it were noticed,” and “people who opt fast food in once or twice a month.” Several sentences also lack clear grammatical connections between clauses, as in the passage beginning “Moreover in 2006.” Practise building accurate short comparison sentences first, then combine them with controlled clauses. Check subject–verb agreement, past-tense forms, and article use before adding more complex structures.
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