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 demonstrate the average percentage in usually meals of three types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if consumed too much in USA.

Overall, sodium accounted for the largest proportion in dinner, while saturated fat contained significant in dinner. Another meal added sugar was biggest count in snacks.

Looking at Sodium, that US people have taken 14% in Snacks, while saturated fat increased at 21% in snacks. Notable changed in added sugar which people have taken high amount at 42% in snacks. In breakfast, sodium obtained in least amount that's 14%. Although saturated fat and added sugar average in breakfast at 16%.

The remaining categories as sodium maintained high volume at 42% in dinner contributed decreased at 37 % and 23% respectively, whereas sodium maintained 29% in lunch and added sugar was lowest at 19% figure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify relevant overall patterns, especially that dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat and that snacks lead for added sugar. However, several figures are misreported or assigned unclearly: dinner sodium is given as 42% rather than 43%, and the sentence about “the remaining categories” incorrectly says sodium is 42% in dinner and that saturated fat and added sugar are 37% and 23% without clearly naming them. The response also omits the key lunch figure for saturated fat. The report is under the required 150 words: it contains 127 words, with 13 prompt words excluded from the count. Add accurate comparisons and enough detail to cover the charts more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an overview to details about snacks, breakfast and the remaining meals. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression is difficult to follow because the body does not consistently compare the three nutrients within each meal, and references such as “the remaining categories” and “respectively” do not make clear which figures belong to which nutrient. Linking words such as “while” and “Although” are attempted, but some connections are awkward or do not clarify the relationship between the data. Organise the details in a consistent order—by meal or by nutrient—and name each nutrient alongside its figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “accounted for,” and “average percentage,” and the reader can generally recognise that the report concerns nutrient shares in meals. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning unclear, such as “significant in dinner,” “biggest count,” “Notable changed,” and “maintained high volume.” “Increased” also suggests a change over time, which the chart does not show. Use precise language for proportions and comparisons, such as “accounted for,” “was highest,” and “made up.” Avoid repeating “amount” and “high” when describing percentages.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a few longer structures, including “while” and “Although” clauses, but sentence control is inconsistent and errors sometimes make the data difficult to interpret. For example, “The pie chart demonstrate” has subject–verb disagreement, while “that US people have taken 14% in Snacks” is not formed as a clear reporting clause. The final sentence combines several comparisons without a clear grammatical structure, and “contributed decreased” is especially difficult to understand. Most sentences rely on simple patterns, with complex attempts often faulty. Practise accurate reporting structures such as “Sodium accounted for 14% of snack intake” and use one clear comparison per sentence.

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

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