Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-28

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 given chart illustrates frequency of eating fast food among the people of United states of America.

Overall, these percentages was highest in once a week in all these given periods of time. Moreover, the population eating fast every day was the least during the whole time period.

In 2003, the people of the america who are eating fast food twice a month or once a month or week were nearly 30% of the whole. Furthermore, the frequency of the citizens who ate fast food every day, several times a week, a few times a year and who never ate fast food was below 18%.

In 2006, the number of the people ate fast food once a week was above 33% and the others was below 25%. Meanwhile, the people wo never tried fast food and the people who eats fast food everyday were about less than 5%. In 2013, the situation was almost same as 2006 only the difference of a few percents was captued in once or twice a month and few times a year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern that weekly eating was prominent and daily eating was consistently among the least common categories. However, the overview is not fully accurate: “once a week” was highest in 2003 and 2006, but in 2013 “once or twice a month” was highest. Some comparisons are also unclear or imprecise. For example, the 2003 sentence combines “twice a month or once a month or week,” making it difficult to tell which categories and figures you mean; the chart shows 31% eating once a week and 30% once or twice a month. The final comparison overlooks the shift in the leading category. Select the key changes and report them clearly to make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the years, with time markers such as “In 2003,” “In 2006,” and “In 2013” helping the reader follow the sequence. The ideas are generally grouped by year, so the overall arrangement is coherent. However, some links and references are unclear. The phrase “the others was below 25%” does not specify which categories are being grouped, and “the situation was almost same as 2006” is too broad to show the comparison precisely. The repeated year-by-year pattern also limits comparison across the chart. Grouping similar categories or highlighting the main changes between years would create clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “frequency,” “percentages,” and “time period,” and the reader can generally understand the topic. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward for describing data. “The population eating fast” is not a natural way to refer to the category, while “the people who never tried fast food” changes the chart’s meaning: it records people who never ate at fast-food restaurants, not necessarily people who never tried fast food. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, such as “captued,” and repeated use of “people” and “fast food.” Use precise category labels and a wider set of reporting verbs and comparison phrases to improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including the overview and the sentence beginning “Furthermore,” and the main message is usually understandable. However, errors in agreement, verb forms, and sentence construction recur. For example, “these percentages was highest” should use a plural verb, while “the number of the people ate fast food” needs a relative clause or a different construction. In “the others was below 25%,” the subject and verb do not agree, and “the people who eats” also has an agreement error. Tense shifts such as “who are eating” in a description of 2003 further reduce control. Practise consistent past-tense reporting and check subject–verb agreement in longer sentences.

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