The table below shows information about three different types of restaurants.
Sample Response
The table compares the costs of the lunch and dinner and shows the average time people spent while having lunch and dinner in three different types of restaurants. A glance at the graph reveals that the cost of lunch is less expensive than dinner served at a restaurant. According to the table data, the meal price in a sit-down restaurant, cafeteria and fast food restaurant varies. When comparing the cost of the restaurant, dinner is more expensive than lunch in a restaurant. The meal served in these three types of restaurant have one thing in common – customer spend more time on a restaurant where the meal is expensive. For example, people spend only 20 minutes on a fast food restaurant for the lunch and it costs them less than 5 dollars while a 45 minutes lunch in a sit-down restaurant costs 10 dollar. Interestingly, people spend more time in a restaurant during their dinner than they do while having their lunch. On an average, they spend 15 minutes more during dinner except in a fast food shop. The meals in a sit-down restaurant is more expensive than that of a cafeteria and fast food restaurant. For instance, dinner in a sit-down restaurant costs as high as 17 dollar which is more than thrice than the price of dinner in a fast food shop.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Remove unnecessary articles Original: costs of the lunch and dinner Suggested revision: costs of lunch and dinner Why it matters: Meal names normally take no article when discussed generally.
- 2. Use present tense Original: spent Suggested revision: spend Why it matters: The present tense is appropriate for describing information in a table.
- 3. Use plural subject Original: meal Suggested revision: meals Why it matters: The statement refers to meals across several restaurant types, so a plural subject is needed.
- 4. Use plural noun Original: restaurant Suggested revision: restaurants Why it matters: “Types of” requires a plural count noun in this context.
- 5. Fix number agreement Original: customer Suggested revision: customers Why it matters: The general statement requires a plural noun to agree with “spend.”
- 6. Correct the preposition Original: on Suggested revision: in Why it matters: Time is spent “in” a restaurant, not “on” one.
- 7. Make comparison explicit Original: where the meal is expensive Suggested revision: when the meal is more expensive Why it matters: The comparative form accurately links higher prices with longer dining times.
- 8. Correct preposition Original: on a fast food restaurant Suggested revision: at a fast-food restaurant Why it matters: “At” correctly introduces the restaurant location, and the compound modifier needs a hyphen.
- 9. Correct meal phrase Original: for the lunch Suggested revision: eating lunch Why it matters: “Eating lunch” fits grammatically after the duration phrase.
- 10. Form compound adjective Original: 45 minutes lunch Suggested revision: 45-minute lunch Why it matters: A singular, hyphenated unit is required before the noun it modifies.
- 11. Use plural currency Original: dollar Suggested revision: dollars Why it matters: A quantity greater than one requires the plural form “dollars.”
- 12. Correct fixed phrase Original: On an average Suggested revision: On average Why it matters: “On average” is the standard fixed expression.
Suggested Rewrites
- costs of the lunch and dinner costs of lunch and dinner
- spent spend
- meal meals
- restaurant restaurants
- customer customers
- on in
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response selects the main cost and time patterns well and supports them with accurate examples, including the sit-down and fast-food figures. Its clearest weakness is language control: missing paragraph breaks, repeated statements, agreement errors, and awkward forms such as unit plurals reduce polish. Group the overview and details into separate paragraphs, then check agreement, articles, prepositions, and measurement expressions.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The main relationships between meal cost, restaurant type, and time spent are accurately identified and supported with well-chosen figures.
Include a concise comparison involving the cafeteria so that all three restaurant types receive balanced coverage.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information follows a generally logical comparative sequence, but the single unbroken paragraph and repeated cost observations weaken organisation.
Separate the overview from two detail paragraphs, grouping cost comparisons in one and time comparisons in the other.
Lexical Resource
The response uses an adequate range of comparison and measurement vocabulary, though several collocations and prepositions are awkward.
Use natural forms such as at a restaurant, on average, three times the price, and a 45-minute lunch.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex structures communicates the data clearly, despite recurring errors in agreement, articles, plurals, and comparatives.
Correct forms such as customers spend, meals are, 10 dollars, and more than three times the price.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The table below shows information about three different types of restaurants.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.