Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The bar chart illustrate the frequency of eating at fast food resturants among people in the USA from 2003, 2006 and 2013. It is measure in percentages. Overall, it can be clearly seen that both categories eating at foot resturants are increase than both categories are decrease.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the chart’s subject and time period, and you attempt an overall statement. However, the overview—“both categories … are increase” and “both categories are decrease”—does not identify which eating frequencies rose or fell, and the chart has six categories rather than two. No figures or specific comparisons are reported, so the main features are not adequately summarised. The response is also far below the required 150 words, leaving most of the task unaddressed. To improve, write a clear overview of the main pattern, then select key figures—for example, weekly eating was highest in 2006, while monthly eating became the most common frequency in 2013—and compare relevant changes across the years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the chart and then attempts to give an overview, with “Overall” signalling a shift to the main message. This provides a small amount of organisation. However, the response ends after these two sentences, so there is no developed progression from overview to supporting details, and no paragraphing to distinguish these functions. The overview itself is difficult to follow because “both categories” is unclear and the two trend claims are not explained. Build a short, logical structure with an introduction, an overview, and one or two detail paragraphs. Use clear references to the six frequency categories and connect comparisons explicitly, rather than relying on a vague summary.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary such as “frequency,” “fast food restaurants,” and “percentages,” and the reader can recognise the subject of the chart. However, the range is very limited, with no vocabulary for describing specific movements or comparisons. There are also noticeable spelling and word-choice problems: “resturants” is misspelled, and “foot resturants” appears to be an inaccurate repetition of “fast food restaurants.” The phrase “categories eating at” is also not a natural way to describe the data. Use precise terms such as “frequency categories,” “the proportion of people,” “rose,” “fell,” and “remained stable” to report the chart’s trends accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a simple present-tense introduction and an overview, and the first sentence communicates the general topic despite its errors. However, grammatical control is inconsistent. In “The bar chart illustrate,” the singular subject requires “illustrates”; “It is measure” needs the passive form “is measured”; and “both categories … are increase” is not a grammatical verb construction. The final clause, “than both categories are decrease,” is also difficult to interpret because the comparison structure and verb form are faulty. Most sentences follow a basic pattern, with little evidence of controlled variety. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and use simple trend structures such as “the proportion increased” or “the figure fell.”

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