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 chart below illustrates how often citizens in the USA consumed in fast food restaurants from 2003 to 2013. Overall, there are several type of people who ate every day, once a week, once or twice a month, few times in a year and also who never consumed it. Major population consumed fast food once a week and once or twice a month. The poeple who ate thisss food every day or who never had this kind of food was very few.

Firstly, those who had junk food once a week have high percentage. Almost 32% poeple ate this food in 2003 and then this percentage raised to 33% in 2006. By 2013 this number decreased to 28%. In contrast, those poeple who ate this food once or twice a month were 30% in 2003. Then this figure decreased and reached 25% in 2006. By 2013 this figure again raised and gose to 37%. Poeple who consumed junk food several times a week were at 17% in 2003 but this number raised to 20% in 2006. Then in 2013 it had a down fall and reached to 16%.

Citizens who consumed junk food was 13% in 2003. By 2006 and 2013 15% of citizens had this food. There were only 4% people who ate junk food in 2003. Then this figure decreased to 3% in 2013. There was also 5% poeple who ate this food in 2003. Again in 2006 and 2013 this figure sliehtly decreased to 4%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern that weekly and monthly visits were the most common, while daily eating and never eating were uncommon, and you compare several categories across the three years. However, some figures are inaccurate: monthly eating in 2013 was about 33%, not 37%, and the final two categories are confused. The chart shows about 12.5% eating a few times a year in 2003, rising to 15% in both later years; daily eating was 4%, 3% and 3%, while never eating was 4.5%, 3.5% and 3.5%. The overview also says “several type of people” rather than clearly summarising the overall changes. More accurate reporting and a sharper overview would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs reporting the categories, and sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “In contrast,” and “By 2013” help show time and comparison. However, the overview is difficult to follow, and the final paragraph becomes especially unclear because it reports the low-frequency categories without naming them. Phrases such as “There were only 4% people” and “There was also 5% people” leave the reader unsure which category each figure describes. Some linking is also repetitive, with “Then” and “this figure” used repeatedly. Grouping the categories more clearly and using precise references would create a more consistent progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing the chart, including “percentage,” “decreased,” “raised,” and “in contrast,” so the main comparisons are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or informal for an academic report. “Junk food” is not the same as the chart’s neutral term, “fast food,” and “consumed in fast food restaurants” is an awkward collocation. Repeated use of “this figure” and “this food” also makes the description imprecise. Spelling errors such as “poeple,” “thisss,” and “sliehtly” are noticeable. Use a small range of accurate reporting verbs and category labels consistently to improve precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more developed sentences, including comparisons with “In contrast” and time clauses beginning “By 2013.” However, errors in agreement, articles, and verb forms occur often enough to make some sentences awkward or unclear. For example, “there are several type” needs plural agreement, while “the percentage raised” and “this figure again raised and gose” use incorrect verb forms. In “those people who ate … was very few,” the subject and verb do not agree, and “There were only 4% people” has an incorrect noun phrase. Aim for accurate patterns such as “the proportion rose to…” and “the number of people was…”; then check agreement and tense in each sentence.

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