Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-07
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The charts below show the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The pie chart illustrates the usage of three nutrients in the meals of USA including Sodium. Saturated fat and added sugar. Overall people consume higher amound of sodium in dinner while the lowest usage of sodium is in snaks. In case of saturated fat, mostly it is consumed in the dinner followed closely bu the lunch. Added sugar is widely used in the snaks while the breafast having the least sugar.
Looking into the more details, people of USA consume the unhealthy nutrients like sodium fat and sugar in the dinner and snack while minor portion of these were used in the breakfast.
A clear look into the details, also shows that Dinner and lunch have substantial amount of sodium followed closely by fat and added sugar. In breakfast people consume the saturated fat and added sugar in same amount which is 16 % while the sadium is relatively low and is around 14%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You identify the main patterns accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks account for the most added sugar; you also note breakfast’s low sodium figure and the equal breakfast shares for fat and sugar. These relevant observations support a clear overview. However, the report is selective and some comparisons are unclear or inaccurate. For example, saying dinner and lunch contain substantial sodium “followed closely by fat and added sugar” does not clearly compare the meal percentages, and the claim that nutrients are mainly consumed at dinner and snacks overlooks lunch’s notable sodium and saturated-fat shares. Include more precise comparisons across all four meals, especially the 42% snack share of added sugar and the dinner figures of 43% sodium and 37% saturated fat, to develop the summary more fully.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has an identifiable overall structure: an opening overview is followed by further detail, and phrases such as “Overall” and “Looking into the more details” signal a move between sections. However, progression is not consistently clear. The second paragraph repeats the general point about dinner, snacks and breakfast rather than adding a distinct comparison, while the final paragraph shifts between meal comparisons and nutrient comparisons without a clear organising principle. Some linking phrases are awkward or do not show the relationship between ideas precisely. Group the information more deliberately—for example, compare sodium and saturated fat together, then contrast the different pattern for added sugar—and use references that make each comparison easy to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “nutrients,” “saturated fat,” “added sugar,” and “substantial amount,” and the reader can generally understand the intended comparisons. There is some variety in how you describe the data, but several word choices and spelling errors reduce precision: “usage” is not the most natural term for percentages in meals, and “snaks,” “breafast,” and “sadium” are misspelled. Phrases such as “widely used” and “minor portion” are also imprecise for describing chart shares. Aim for accurate collocations such as “accounted for” or “made up,” and check spelling carefully. More precise vocabulary would help distinguish the nutrient proportions from the act of consuming them.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including an overview with contrasting clauses and longer sentences beginning “Looking into the more details” and “A clear look into the details.” The main meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. The opening sentence is incomplete after “including Sodium. Saturated fat and added sugar,” because the list is broken by a full stop. In “the breakfast having the least sugar,” the clause lacks a finite verb, and “followed closely bu the lunch” has an unclear construction. There are also issues with articles and sentence structure in “in the meals of USA.” Use complete clauses, punctuate lists consistently, and check that each comparison has a clear subject and verb.
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