Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-29

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 chart illustrates how frequently in the USA ate in fast food restaurants in 2003 and 2013.

Overall, it is clear that the proportion of of eating at fast food once a week is highest in 2006 and 2003. eating fast food once or twice a month trend at 2013.

Eating fast food once a week was percentage higher in al three period, in 2006 recorded 32.5%, reached 31% in 2003, and 27% accounted for 2013. once or twice a month eating fast is aslo represent top level, in 2003 reached to 30%, accounted for 2006 32.5%, and for 2013 count 25%.

eating fast food several times a week is good proportion in all three period, while in the other remaing times eating fast food was limited, and don not represent high

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the topic and make an attempt to compare the main weekly and monthly categories. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: weekly eating was highest in 2006, not in both 2006 and 2003, while monthly eating peaked in 2013. Several figures are also misreported: the chart shows about 33% for weekly eating in 2006 and 28% in 2013, and monthly eating was about 25% in 2006 and 33% in 2013. The final sentence mentions other frequencies but gives no useful comparisons or figures. The response is also 124 words, below the required 150, which limits the detail provided. Add a clear overview and accurately report the key changes across all three years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening, an overview, and further comparisons. The focus on weekly and monthly eating gives the reader some sense of the chart’s main categories. However, progression is difficult to follow because the overview contains incomplete or confusing statements, such as “eating fast food once or twice a month trend at 2013.” The final sentence is unfinished, and the comparisons are crowded together without clear links between ideas. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and details, and connect each comparison explicitly by year. Complete the discussion of the remaining categories so the response has a clear ending and a more coherent sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “recorded,” and “accounted for,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to interpret. For example, “once or twice a month trend at 2013” and “eating fast food several times a week is good proportion” do not express the intended comparisons naturally. There are also spelling errors such as “al,” “aslo,” and “remaing.” Aim for precise, natural collocations when describing data, such as “the proportion who ate out” and “the figure stood at.” Proofreading spelling and word forms would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a few different sentence forms, including an overview and sentences with comparisons, but grammatical control is inconsistent. The opening is missing a subject and preposition pattern: “how frequently in the USA ate” should be “how frequently people in the USA ate.” Other examples include “once a week is highest,” where the comparison needs clearer construction, and “in 2006 recorded 32.5%,” which lacks a grammatical subject. Sentence boundaries and capitalisation are also inconsistent, particularly where a new sentence begins with “eating.” These errors often make relationships between figures unclear. Build complete sentences with an explicit subject and verb, and check agreement, articles, and punctuation when revising.

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