Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-10
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 percentages of nutrients like Sodium, Saturated fat and Added sugar in meals consumed in America.
It is clearly seen that, sodium is the highest in dinner and lowest in sanck and breakfast whereas, saturated fat is also mostly taken in dinner and least in break fast and added sugar in more taken in snack and in least in breakfast too.
Looking into the chart, sodium and saturated fat is highly consumed in dinner by 43% nad 37% where in lunch it is 29% sodium and 26% saturated fat and in sanck and breakfat sodium is 14% in both while saturated fat is 21% in snack and 16% in breakfast.
Similarly, added sugar is 42% in snack and 23% in dinner and leat they consumed in breakfast which is 16% and 19% in luch.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the main pattern accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks account for the largest proportion of added sugar. The figures you report for these categories and for lunch are also correct. However, the overview is brief and does not clearly compare all three nutrients; for example, breakfast and snack shares for saturated fat could be contrasted with the much higher snack figure for added sugar. The response also falls short of the required 150 words, which limits the opportunity to select and explain the main features fully. Add a fuller overview and develop the comparisons rather than mainly listing figures.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic, useful structure: an introduction, a general overview, and two paragraphs reporting details. This gives the reader a broad route through the information. However, progression within the paragraphs is limited, and the final paragraph is very short. Linking expressions such as “Looking into the chart” and “Similarly” are used, but they do not always make the relationship between points clear; the second paragraph, for instance, moves from sodium to saturated fat and then to breakfast and snacks in a crowded sequence. Organise the details into clearer comparisons, and use paragraphing to separate the dinner/lunch pattern from the snack and breakfast pattern.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentages,” “highest,” “lowest,” and “consumed,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “mostly taken in dinner,” “in more taken in snack,” and “leat they consumed.” Spelling errors including “sanck,” “break fast,” and “luch” also make the writing less precise. Aim for standard reporting phrases such as “accounts for,” “is highest in,” and “the lowest proportion is recorded at.” Check spelling carefully and avoid repeating “consumed” when describing the proportions shown in the charts.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts some longer sentence forms, particularly in the overview and in “Looking into the chart,” but these are often difficult to control. For example, “sodium and saturated fat is highly consumed” has a subject–verb agreement problem, and the clause beginning “where in lunch it is” is not formed clearly. The opening overview also joins several comparisons with commas and “whereas,” making the sentence hard to follow. Most reporting is expressed through simple patterns, so there is limited variety. Build accurate short comparison sentences first, then combine them with controlled clauses; check agreement, articles, and punctuation before submitting.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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