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 three bar chart demonstrate the average percentage of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in typical meals consumed in the USA.

Overall, sodium percentage and saturated fat concentartions are high in dinner while, added sugar percentage is high in snack. Break fast percentage remain low in all three types of nutrients.

Sodium and saturated fat, 43% and 37% ratio remained equal in dinner respectively. Added sugar ratio of 42% was high in snack while in sodium and saturated fat snack ratio was 14% and 21% repectively. In one break fast the sodium ratio was 14% while other two breakfast the saturated fat and added sugar ratio was equal at 16%. Sodium ratio in first lunch was 29% and other two lunches saturated fat and added sugar ratio was 26% and 19%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast: dinner accounts for the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. Several figures are also reported accurately, including dinner at 43% sodium and 37% saturated fat, and snacks at 42% added sugar. However, the overview is brief and the comparisons are not fully developed; for example, the response does not clearly compare all four meal types across the nutrients. The phrase “remained equal in dinner” is also unclear because the two percentages are different. The response is 18 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to select and explain the main features. A fuller overview and a few clearer comparisons would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to supporting figures. This helps the reader recognise the main topic and some key data. However, the final paragraph presents several comparisons in a compressed sequence, with little clear grouping or progression. Phrases such as “In one break fast” and “in first lunch” make the relationships between the meal categories difficult to follow, and the repeated use of “while” does not always clarify the contrast. Organise the details into a more logical pattern—for example, compare dinner and snacks first, then cover breakfast and lunch—and use clear references to each meal throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “sodium,” “saturated fat,” “added sugar,” “percentage,” and “ratio,” so the subject is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and some word choices or combinations are unnatural, such as “concentartions are high,” “ratio remained equal,” and “one break fast.” Repetition of “ratio” also makes the description less precise. There are noticeable spelling errors, including “concentartions,” “repectively,” and “break fast,” which reduce accuracy. Use standard chart language such as “accounted for,” “share,” and “proportion,” and check spelling carefully. More precise vocabulary would help distinguish the figures and comparisons without changing the meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple statements and longer comparisons, but the range of sentence structures is limited and errors recur. For example, “The three bar chart demonstrate” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “sodium percentage and saturated fat concentartions are high in dinner while, added sugar percentage is high in snack” has awkward clause construction and punctuation. The sentence beginning “Sodium and saturated fat, 43% and 37% ratio…” is also difficult to parse because the figures are not integrated into a clear grammatical structure. Articles and plural forms are inconsistent, as in “one lunch” and “other two lunches.” Build accurate sentences around a clear subject and verb, and use punctuation to separate contrasting clauses.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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