The charts below show the percentage of food budget the average family spent on restaurant meals in different years. The graph shows the number of meals eaten in fast food restaurants and sit-down restaurants.
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Sample Response
The pie chart illustrates the percentage of food budget spent by an average family on restaurantrestaurants meals and on home cookingat home in 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000, while the graph compares the number of meals eaten at fast-food restaurantsthe meals eaten in fast food shops and sit-down restaurants in those years.
Overall,It can be clearly seen that the proportion of food budget spent on restaurant meals increased over the periodhad increased over the period. In 1970, just 10% of total food budget was spent on restaurant meals. This proportionamount rose by 5 percentage pointshad risen by 5% in 1980. The percentage continued to increase to 35% in 1990 and in 2000in the year 2000, the proportion of food budget spent on restaurants and home cooking was equalhad been equal (50:50).
From the graph, it is evident that the number of meals eaten at both fast-food and sit-down restaurantsboth in fast food and sit-down restaurants had increased during the period. In 1970, the number of meals eatenthe number of eaten meals in those two kinds of restaurants waswere the same (20 meals/year). In 1980, the number of meals eaten in sit-down restaurants was higher than the number of meals eaten at fast-food restaurantsthe meal eaten in fast food restaurants. However, in the following period, the number of fast food meals rose sharply toboomed to approximately 55 meals/year and 90 meals/year in 1990 and 2000, respectively,2000 respectively while the number of mealsfood eaten in sit-down restaurants just increased moderately, from 35 meals/year in 1980 to 45 meals/year in 1990 and 50 meals/year in 2000. It is evident from the graph that fast food gained more popularity over the period and the number of meals eaten outside increased significantly.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response gives a clear, well-selected account of both visuals, with an effective overview and almost all figures and comparisons accurately reported. Its main limitation is language control: awkward collocations and repeated tense, agreement, and noun-form errors reduce precision even though meaning remains clear. The highest priority is to use simple past consistently for completed historical data and describe meal numbers with natural phrases such as ‘the number of meals eaten.’
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
A clear overview and accurate coverage of both charts capture the main increases, crossover, and nearly all key figures.
Report the 2000 fast-food figure more precisely as about 85 meals and sharpen the direct comparisons between restaurant types.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response progresses logically from the budget charts to the meal-frequency graph, with clear paragraphing and well-managed linking.
Reduce repetitive framing such as ‘it is evident’ and integrate the final trend statement more economically.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is varied enough to describe trends and comparisons, but several collocations are awkward or imprecise.
Use natural combinations such as ‘restaurant meals,’ ‘the number of meals eaten,’ and ‘rose sharply’ instead of ‘boomed.’
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A useful range of complex structures is evident, although recurring tense, agreement, and noun-phrase errors weaken control.
Use the simple past consistently for the historical data and check subject–verb agreement in phrases headed by ‘the number.’