Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-03

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 and compares the number of US citizens who often ate in fast food restaurants betweenthe years 2003 ,2006 and 2013.

Overall, it is evident that people who went to eat once a week in a fast food restaurant recorded the highest figures ,whereas there was a category of individuals who never ate in a fast food restaurant throughout the three years.

Looking first at those who ate several times a week recorded about 17% in 2003 , 20% in 2006 and about 16% in 2013 . Moreover, the US citizens who ate once a week recorded approximately 32% in 2003 ,below 35% in 2006 and below 30% in 2006. Furthermore, those who ate once or twice a month had exactly 30% in 2003, 25% in 2006 and approximately 33% in 2013.

Turning to some of the Americans who ate every day recorded about 4% ,3% ,3% in 2003, 2006 and 2013 respectively and those who also ate several times a week had figures of about 17% ,exactly 20%,and just above15% in the same order. Compared to some who never went to a fast food restaurant with 5% in 2003 ,about 4% in 2006 and approximately 4% in 2013.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main pattern that weekly dining was the most common frequency, and you report several relevant figures for the three years. However, the overview is incomplete: it does not summarise the shift from weekly visits being highest in 2003 and 2006 to monthly visits being highest in 2013. There is also a factual error in saying that weekly dining was below 30% in 2006; it was about 33%. The phrase “below 30% in 2006” appears again where the 2013 figure should be, so the comparison is unclear. Some categories are repeated while “a few times a year” is omitted. A clearer overview and more accurate, selective comparisons would make the response more complete and developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, and the information is generally grouped by frequency. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Looking first” and “Turning to” help signal movement between sections. However, progression is weakened by repetition: “several times a week” is reported in both detail paragraphs, while “a few times a year” is not covered. Some sentences also combine figures in a way that makes the comparison hard to follow, particularly the weekly figures and the repeated “below 30% in 2006.” Use one paragraph for the more frequent categories and another for the less frequent ones, and ensure each category is reported once in a clear year-by-year order.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “illustrates and compares,” “recorded,” “approximately” and “respectively.” These choices allow the reader to understand the subject and most comparisons. Some wording is repetitive or imprecise, however: “ate” and “recorded” recur frequently, and “a category of individuals who never ate” is an awkward way to describe the smallest group. “Number” is also less accurate than “percentage” for the chart’s measurements. Aim for more precise reporting language and natural collocations, while avoiding unnecessary paraphrases such as “some of the Americans.” This would make the description more fluent and suitably formal without requiring overly complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including an overview clause beginning “whereas” and longer sentences with several figures. The main meaning is usually understandable, but some sentence structures are incomplete or awkward. For example, “Looking first at those who ate several times a week recorded…” lacks a clear grammatical subject; write “Those who ate several times a week accounted for…” instead. The same pattern occurs in “Turning to some of the Americans … recorded.” Punctuation and spacing around commas are inconsistent, and the long final comparison is difficult to parse. Check that each sentence has a clear subject and verb, and use full stops to separate comparisons. More controlled complex sentences would improve accuracy and readability.

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