Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-11
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 charts compares the average proportions of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the usa.
Overall, sodium made up the largest percentage in the dinner, in contrast accounted for the smallest percentage in the snack.Regarding added sugar, snack received the highest proportion of sugar.
Looking at the sodium, dinner represented 43% of the typical meals consumed in the usa, making them the largest group.Lunch accounted for 29%, followed by breakfast at 14%.The remaining snack consisted of 14% of sodium.Turning to saturated fat, the dinner was the most highly percentage with 37%of saturated fat, moreover lunch consisted of 26%, the remaining breakfast and snack consisted of 16% and 21% respectively.
Looking to the added sugar, snack represented 42% of the pie chart , making them the largest group.Dinner consisted of 23%of added sugar, followed by lunch at 19%.The remaining breakfast accounted fo the smallest percentage at 16%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the main pattern that dinner contributes the most sodium and saturated fat, while snacks contribute the most added sugar, and most reported figures match the charts. However, the overview is incomplete: it does not summarise the contrasting meal patterns across all three nutrients, and the claim that snacks have the smallest sodium share overlooks breakfast, which is equal at 14%. The body reports many figures, but comparisons and key relationships are not consistently made clear. The response also contains 138 words, below the required 150; 14 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Add a concise comparison of the main patterns and enough relevant detail to meet the minimum.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate discussion of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. This helps the reader follow the chart categories. However, progression within the body is sometimes mechanical, with repeated openings such as “Looking at the sodium,” “Turning to saturated fat,” and “Looking to the added sugar.” Some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “in contrast accounted for the smallest percentage in the snack,” and the long saturated-fat sentence joins several figures with “moreover” without a clear relationship. Use more precise comparisons and vary the linking language; clearer sentence boundaries would also make the sequence easier to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportions,” “accounted for,” “represented,” and “largest group,” so the reader can generally understand the data being described. However, the range is limited by repeated use of “consisted of” and “percentage,” and several combinations are unnatural, such as “the most highly percentage” and “snack received the highest proportion of sugar.” There are also spelling and form slips, including “fo” for “for.” Choose precise reporting verbs and collocations, and avoid describing a meal as receiving a nutrient share. This would make the account more natural and reduce the effort needed to interpret some statements.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, errors are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward or difficult to process. For example, “the pie charts compares” has subject–verb disagreement, while “in contrast accounted for” lacks a clear grammatical connection. Articles and sentence construction are also problematic in “the dinner was the most highly percentage,” and punctuation is inconsistent, with missing spaces after full stops and commas. Practise building accurate comparison sentences, such as “Dinner accounted for 43%, compared with 29% for lunch,” and check agreement, articles and sentence boundaries before submitting.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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