Example
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
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.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Model Answer
The charts illustrate changes in the proportion of the average family’s food budget spent on restaurant meals between 1970 and 2000, as well as the number of meals eaten at fast-food and sit-down restaurants.
Overall, the share of the food budget allocated to restaurant meals increased steadily, reaching 50% in 2000. Over the same period, fast-food consumption rose dramatically and eventually surpassed the number of sit-down meals.
In 1970, restaurant meals accounted for just 10% of the average family’s food expenditure. This figure increased to 15% in 1980 and then more than doubled to 35% in 1990, before reaching 50% in 2000.
In terms of the number of meals consumed, both types of restaurant were equally popular in 1970, at approximately 20 meals per year. Sit-down meals then rose to 35 in 1980 and 45 in 1990, before reaching 50 in 2000. Fast-food consumption followed a different pattern, increasing more rapidly after 1980. It climbed from 30 meals in 1980 to 55 in 1990 and then surged to about 86 in 2000. Thus, fast food became considerably more popular than sit-down dining by the end of the period.
Break down
Task Achievement
✅ Excellent overview
Your overview identifies the two major trends:
“the share of the food budget allocated to restaurant meals increased steadily…”
and:
“fast-food consumption rose dramatically and eventually surpassed the number of sit-down meals.”
This is excellent because you distinguish between the budget chart and the meal-consumption chart.
You also identify the key change in the second chart: fast food overtaking sit-down restaurants.
✅ Good data selection
You provide the important figures:
Restaurant expenditure:
10% → 15% → 35% → 50%
Sit-down meals:
20 → 35 → 45 → 50
Fast-food meals:
20 → 30 → 55 → 86
This is enough to demonstrate the trends without overwhelming the reader.
⭐ Strong comparison
Your final observation:
“fast food became considerably more popular than sit-down dining by the end of the period.”
is an effective interpretation of the data.
Coherence & Cohesion
Your structure is very good:
Introduction → Overview → Food budget → Meals consumed
This is probably the best way to organise these two related charts.
Strong linking
You use:
- “Overall”
- “Over the same period”
- “In 1970”
- “This figure”
- “then”
- “before”
- “In terms of”
- “By contrast”
- “Thus”
These are natural and effective.
Excellent transition
“In terms of the number of meals consumed…”
This clearly signals that you’re moving from the first chart to the second.
Lexical Resource
Your vocabulary is strong and appropriate.
Excellent expressions
“share of the food budget”
“allocated to restaurant meals”
“food expenditure”
“accounted for”
“increased steadily”
“more than doubled”
“equally popular”
“increasing more rapidly”
“surged to”
“considerably more popular”
These are very natural Task 1 expressions.
Good variation
For increases, you use:
- increased
- rose
- climbed
- surged
For comparisons:
- equally popular
- more rapidly
- considerably more popular
This is good lexical range.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Your grammar is excellent.
Strong complex structures
“This figure increased to 15% in 1980 and then more than doubled to 35% in 1990, before reaching 50% in 2000.”
Excellent sequencing.
Another strong sentence:
“Fast-food consumption followed a different pattern, increasing more rapidly after 1980.”
Good participial construction.
And:
“It climbed from 30 meals in 1980 to 55 in 1990 and then surged to about 86 in 2000.”
Clear, accurate and concise.
I see no significant grammatical errors.
🔍 Detailed Examiner Comments
Introduction
“The charts illustrate changes in the proportion of the average family’s food budget spent on restaurant meals between 1970 and 2000, as well as the number of meals eaten at fast-food and sit-down restaurants.”
Excellent introduction.
You successfully paraphrase both charts without unnecessary detail.
Overview
Very strong.
You identify:
- Rising restaurant expenditure
- Dramatic growth in fast food
- Fast food eventually overtaking sit-down meals
That’s exactly what the examiner wants.
Food Budget Paragraph
Excellent numerical progression:
10% → 15% → 35% → 50%
The phrase:
“then more than doubled to 35%”
is particularly good because you’re interpreting the magnitude of the change rather than just reporting it.
Meals Paragraph
This is also very strong.
You establish that both types began at:
20 meals
Then show their divergence:
Sit-down: 20 → 35 → 45 → 50
Fast food: 20 → 30 → 55 → 86
The contrast is very clear.
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