Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-26

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 4.5)

The bar chart compares the pattern of how frequently people in usa consume fast food between the years 2003 and 2006.

It illustrates which percentage and frequency of eating at fast food restaurant in USA. Most of the population There is very less percentage of people who eats everyday or never, that lies between 3-5% in all three years 2003, 2006 and 2013. The Highest percentage ate once a week.

In 2013 almost 30-35% of people ate at fast food restaurant once or twiice a month, whereas only 25% ate in 2006. 25-35% of people ate once a week in all the 3 years. The Percentage of people who ate once a week

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify some relevant features, including the low proportions who ate fast food every day or never, and the rise in monthly visits by 2013. However, the response only minimally covers the chart: the opening mentions 2003 and 2006 but omits 2013, and the overview is incomplete. The claim that once-a-week eating was highest is not accurate across the period; it was the leading category in 2003 and 2006, while monthly visits were highest in 2013. The final sentence is unfinished, and several key comparisons are missing. The response is also 37 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail reported. Include a clear overview and compare the main categories across all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, beginning with an introduction and then giving some observations about the data. However, the ideas do not develop in a clear sequence: the overview, figures and comparisons are mixed together, and the paragraph beginning “It illustrates” contains several separate points without a clear structure. The final sentence, “The Percentage of people who ate once a week,” is incomplete, so the reader is left without the intended comparison. Linking is also limited, with “whereas” doing most of the comparison work. Use a separate overview followed by logically grouped comparisons, and ensure each sentence is complete and connected to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the general subject, with relevant terms such as “percentage,” “frequency,” and “once or twice a month.” However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or awkward, which can make the meaning less clear. For example, “the pattern of how frequently” is repetitive, while “very less percentage” is not a natural expression. “Consume fast food” is understandable, but “eat at fast-food restaurants” is more precise for this chart. There are also spelling and capitalisation slips, including “twiice” and inconsistent use of “Percentage.” Aim for concise, accurate chart language and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and a longer comparison using “whereas,” but the range of sentence structures is limited and errors occur frequently. In “people in usa consume,” the article and capitalisation are missing; “people who eats” also has incorrect subject–verb agreement. The sentence beginning “Most of the population There is” is not grammatically complete, and “It illustrates which percentage and frequency” has an unclear clause structure. The final sentence is a fragment. These problems sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Practise complete sentence patterns, agreement with plural subjects, and articles, then proofread each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

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