Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-30

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 shows USA people how ate fast food restaurant between 2003 and 2013.

Eating fast food of frequency in 2003 are vey less amout everyday but as we see 2006 to 2013 are more decreasen from 2003, besides if we talk about week many time percentage are higher from 0% to 20%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the chart’s subject and time period, but the report does not provide a clear overview or accurately describe the main patterns. The claim that weekly frequency is “higher from 0% to 20%” is unclear and conflicts with the chart: once-a-week eating was about 31%, 33% and 28%, while several-times-a-week eating was 17%, 20% and 16%. You also do not compare the categories or years in a meaningful way. The response is substantially below the required 150 words, leaving most of the task unanswered. To improve, summarise the main shift—once-a-week eating was most common in 2003 and 2006, while monthly eating led in 2013—and support this with a few accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence introduces the chart, followed by a sentence about the data. However, the ideas do not progress clearly, and the second sentence combines several points without showing how they relate. The connector “besides” does not establish a clear comparison, while “if we talk about week” leaves the reader unsure which frequency category you mean. The response also lacks a concluding overview and paragraph development. Use a simple structure: introduction, overview of the main trends, then comparisons of the key categories across the three years. Clear links such as “By contrast” and “Meanwhile” can help connect those comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

Your vocabulary is limited but includes relevant topic words such as “bar chart,” “percentage,” and “everyday,” so the general subject can be recognised. However, several word choices and combinations make the meaning difficult to follow: “USA people,” “fast food restaurant,” “vey less amout,” and “more decreasen” are inaccurate or unclear. “Many time” also does not express a frequency category naturally. Aim to use the chart’s labels precisely and learn common reporting phrases, such as “the proportion of people who ate out once a week.” Check spelling and word forms before finishing. A wider set of accurate terms for describing frequency and change would make the report clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both a simple opening statement and a longer sentence with a contrast, but grammatical control is inconsistent. In “The bar chart shows USA people how ate,” the word order and clause structure are faulty; “people how ate” does not form a correct relative clause. In the next sentence, “Eating fast food of frequency in 2003 are” has an unclear subject and incorrect agreement, and “as we see 2006 to 2013 are” lacks a well-formed clause. These errors make several relationships difficult to understand. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then add comparisons using structures such as “The figure rose from … to …, whereas … fell.” Pay attention to articles, verb forms, and sentence boundaries.

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