Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-31

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 bar chart illustrates the proportion of USA citizens who ate junk food from 2003 to 2013.

Overall, it is clearly noticeable that the category of once a week and once or twice a month had eaten fast food much higher. while, a very rare individuals ate junk food of daily and never.

Initially, regarding once a week, 33% in 2006 which was followed by 31% and 28% respectively. Similarly, once or twice a month, 33% in 2013 which was compared with 30%and 25%. Whereas, several times a week 20% in 2006 and 17% in 2003, 16% in 2013.

In contrast, a few times a year, 15% in both 2006 and 2013, and 13% in 2003. Regarding, never 5% in 2003 and 4% in 2006 and 2013. Finally, the last cateogry daily, 4% in 2003 and 3% in 2006 and 2013. In short. once a week and once or twice a month ate junk food in higher ratio whereas, daily and never citizens ate fast unhealthy food very rarely.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main high-frequency categories and the low-frequency extremes, and most reported figures match the chart. The overview that weekly and monthly visits were more common than daily visits or never eating fast food is relevant. However, the overview is imprecise: “once a week and once or twice a month” were not both consistently the highest categories, since the monthly category peaked in 2013 while weekly visits peaked in 2006. Some comparisons are listed rather than explained, and the conclusion repeats the overview without adding a clear summary of the changes over time. To strengthen the response, state the key shift from weekly visits being most common in 2003 and 2006 to monthly visits leading in 2013, then support it with selected figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs grouping the categories. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “In contrast” signal a change of focus. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is often list-like, with figures presented one after another rather than connected through clear comparisons. “Initially” does not establish a meaningful sequence, while “Whereas” is left without a complete contrasting clause. The final “In short” repeats earlier points, and punctuation around transitions is sometimes confusing. Group the categories by their trends and use complete comparison sentences—for example, contrast the weekly peak in 2006 with the monthly peak in 2013—to make the progression clearer and less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic vocabulary to identify the chart’s categories, including “once a week,” “a few times a year,” and “daily.” However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for an IELTS chart description. “Junk food” and “fast unhealthy food” are not equivalent to the chart’s neutral term “fast food,” and “ate ... in higher ratio” is an awkward collocation. “A very rare individuals” also uses an unsuitable expression and form. Spelling errors such as “cateogry” are noticeable. Aim for precise, neutral reporting language and vary expressions for proportions and frequency, such as “accounted for,” “was the most common frequency,” and “a small minority.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some complex structures, including “which was followed by” and clauses introduced by “whereas,” but control is inconsistent. Several sentences are fragments or have incomplete comparisons, such as “Similarly, once or twice a month, 33% in 2013...” and “Whereas, several times a week 20% in 2006...” The overview also contains faulty agreement and tense in “the category ... had eaten fast food much higher.” Punctuation and sentence boundaries cause further problems, notably “In short.” before a continuation and missing spaces after “30%and.” Use complete subject–verb sentences, keep the chart description in the past tense, and check agreement and punctuation. A reliable pattern is: “The proportion eating weekly was 33% in 2006, compared with 31% in 2003 and 28% in 2013.”

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