Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The chart illustrates the frequency of people eating at fast food restaurants in the years 2003 and 2013.

Overall, the frequency fluctuated with respect to years however it peaked at once a week and once or twice a month category while the lowest number was recorded within everyday and never frequency. Admittedly, the once a week frequency recorded the largest percentage of people in all years, while everyday recorded the lowest percentage.

Once a week and once or twice a month are with the most extreme frequencies of people eating at junk food restaurants with year 2006 recording the highest percentage of near 32.5% of people for once a week frequency while it drops below the years 2006 and 2013 to 25% for once or twice a month category. Year 2003 recorded 31% for the first category then it drops to 30% for the second criteria. On the other hand,2006 rose from27.5% to 32.5%.

The criterion of several times a week and few times a year see a very moderate percentage with 2006 outperfroming all other with 20% for first criteria and 15% for the second while the remaining two categories show very

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main categories and make a useful comparison between weekly and monthly visits, including the shift from once-a-week visits being highest in 2003 and 2006 to monthly visits leading in 2013. However, the overview is not fully accurate: once a week was not the largest category in every year, since once or twice a month reached 33% in 2013. The response also says the chart covers 2003 and 2013, omitting 2006 from the introduction, and the final paragraph is unfinished, leaving several-times-a-week, yearly visits and never largely unreported. Some figures are misread: for example, 2006 once a week is about 33%, not 32.5%, and the monthly figure is 25%, not a rise from 27.5%. Select the key trends accurately and complete the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation: an introduction is followed by an overview and paragraphs comparing frequency groups, and phrases such as “On the other hand” signal contrast. However, progression is difficult to follow because the comparisons are not consistently ordered by year or category. The paragraph beginning “Once a week and once or twice a month” shifts between the two categories and years, while “it drops below the years 2006 and 2013” is unclear about what is being compared. The final sentence stops at “the remaining two categories show very,” so the response ends without completing its line of thought. Use a clear structure—overview, then the main high-frequency trends, followed by the remaining categories—and make each comparison explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “frequency,” “percentage,” “recorded,” and “category,” and you attempt more formal expressions such as “outperforming.” However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the data harder to interpret. “Junk food restaurants” is less suitable than the task’s neutral term “fast-food restaurants,” and “the most extreme frequencies” does not clearly describe the highest categories. “Criteria” is also not the right word for chart categories, while “everyday” should be expressed as “every day” when referring to frequency. Spelling errors such as “outperfroming” further reduce precision. Prefer standard chart language and check collocations and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a contrast clause beginning “while” and a sentence using “On the other hand.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence structure, agreement, tense and punctuation sometimes make relationships unclear. For example, “the frequency fluctuated with respect to years however it peaked” joins clauses without suitable punctuation, and “The criterion … see” has a subject–verb agreement problem. The phrase “with year 2006 recording” also lacks an article, while “it drops below the years 2006 and 2013” is structurally unclear. Several sentences are long and contain multiple comparisons without clear grammatical links. Use shorter, complete sentences and check agreement, articles, and punctuation around linking words.

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