Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-02

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 illustrates the proportion of fast food consumers in restaurants of USA citizens over a period of ten year between 2003 and 2013.

Overal, once a week and twice a week consumers showed highest percentages in all three years while per day and never accounted for least in proportion. Moreover, moderate number of people were eating fast food once a week and few times a year in comparision with others.

Firstly every day consumers in 2006 were at almost 4% and drooped to 3% for both 2006 and 2013. In addition same happend with never citizens those stood at 5% in 2003 and decreased to about 4% for rest the years.

Secondly, highest proportion among all was at almost 33% were taken by both in once a week was taken by 2006 and once or twice a konth in 2013, it was same in both.

Lastly, in 2006 and 2013 few time in a year fast food eaters was exactly at 15%, a few less for 2003. Furthermore, exactly 20% for year 2006 for several time a time while 12 and nearly 11% for this categorey in year 2003 and 2013 respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several relevant features, including the low proportions who ate fast food every day or never, and the rise in monthly eating by 2013. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: “once a week and twice a week” does not match the chart’s categories, and once a week was not among the highest in every year because monthly eating led in 2013. Some figures are also misreported: daily eating was about 4%, 3% and 3%, not “almost 4%” in 2006; several-times-a-week was about 17%, 20% and 16%, rather than 12% and 11% in 2003 and 2013. Select the main comparisons accurately and state the overall shift more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs beginning “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Lastly.” This helps the reader follow the categories being discussed. However, the progression is not consistently logical, and some links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “Moreover, moderate number of people…” does not clearly identify which frequency group is meant, while “it was same in both” has an uncertain reference. The second paragraph also combines daily and never figures without a clear comparison. Group related categories together—for example, the most common frequencies in one paragraph and the least common in another—and use precise references to make the comparisons easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, such as “proportion,” “highest,” “decreased,” and “accounted for,” and you attempt to describe changes rather than simply list figures. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or awkward, as in “fast food consumers in restaurants of USA citizens,” “never citizens,” and “moderate number of people.” Several category labels are also altered or unclear, including “twice a week” and “several time a time,” which makes the data harder to understand. Spelling errors such as “Overal,” “comparision,” “happend,” and “categorey” further reduce control. Use the chart’s exact frequency labels and practise natural phrases such as “people who ate fast food” and “the proportion of respondents.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “while” and “those,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in sentence structure and verb forms appear in examples such as “highest proportion among all was at almost 33% were taken by both,” where the sentence does not form a clear grammatical relationship, and “a few less for 2003,” which is incomplete. There are also problems with articles, agreement and tense, as in “over a period of ten year” and “fast food eaters was exactly at 15%.” These errors sometimes make the intended comparison difficult to follow. Build shorter, complete sentences first, then add subordinate clauses only when their subject and verb relationships are clear.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.