Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-22

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 chart illustartes frequency of easting at fast food in restaurantes among people in the USA from 2003 to 2013.

Overall,they divided into six catagories and they shows theri three year time period into different time line when they visit to ate fast food in restaurants.

First they shows the proportion people who never vist restaurant into three different year from 2003 to 2006 and 2013 5% people were never visited to

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the chart’s subject and attempts an overview by noting six categories and a three-year comparison. It also begins to report the “Never” category. However, the account is incomplete and does not summarise the main patterns: for example, weekly visits were the most common in 2003 and 2006, while monthly visits were highest in 2013. The statement that 5% never visited is only an approximate match for 2003 and does not distinguish the other years, whose figures are about 3–4%. The response also stops before completing its final point. The required minimum of 150 words is not met, leaving too little relevant information to address the task adequately. Select key highs, lows and changes, then support the overview with accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence is followed by an overview and then a detail about people who never visited. This gives the reader some sense of the intended sequence. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview is vague (“they shows theri three year time period”) and the final sentence is unfinished, ending with “visited to”. The phrase “First” signals a sequence but no further categories or comparisons follow. Use a clear paragraph for the overview and another for selected data, and connect each comparison explicitly—for example, contrast weekly visits with monthly visits across the three years. Complete each sentence so the relationships between figures are clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a small set of relevant terms, including “frequency,” “proportion,” “categories,” and “three different year,” so the topic is recognisable. However, vocabulary is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors make the writing harder to understand: “illustartes,” “easting,” “restaurantes,” “catagories,” and “vist” are examples. Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “time period into different time line” and “when they visit to ate fast food.” Use the chart’s own precise labels, such as “ate at fast-food restaurants,” “once a week,” and “once or twice a month.” Check spelling carefully and prefer straightforward, accurate descriptions over attempts at elaborate phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both simple statements and a longer sentence, but grammatical control is inconsistent. For example, “Overall, they divided into six categories” lacks a clear subject and uses an unsuitable verb form, while “they shows” has subject–verb disagreement. The phrase “people who never vist restaurant” also lacks an article or plural form, and “from 2003 to 2006 and 2013” does not express the comparison clearly. Punctuation and spacing are inconsistent, as in “Overall,they,” and the final sentence is incomplete. Build accurate simple sentences first, such as “The chart compares six frequencies in 2003, 2006 and 2013,” then add controlled comparisons using “whereas” or “while.”

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