Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-06
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 illustrate the average consumption of three types of nutrients in typical meals consumed in the USA.
Overall, sodium and saturated fat show more consumption in dinner meal and the added sugar consumption remained low in the lunch meal. The proportion of added sugar in snacks shows the big figure than the remaining two nutrients.
Initially, the sodium remained as the most consumed nutrient in lunch and dinner meals at 26% and 43% respectively, whereas, added sugar was higher in snacks at 42% and dinner at 23%, however, saturated fat consumption shows higher figures in dinner at 37% followed by lunch at 26%.
By contrast, all the nutrients consumption in breakfast meal did not show any higher figure and remained below 20% but more nutrients were consumed in dinner followed by lunch. The snacks consume lowest amount of sodium at only 14% followed by 21% consumption of saturated fat in it.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features of the three nutrients across four meal types. You successfully highlight key comparisons, such as the dominance of added sugar in snacks and sodium in dinner. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical and lacks a more sophisticated synthesis of the data. While you mention that dinner has the highest consumption, the report could be improved by grouping the data more effectively to highlight the trends rather than listing percentages. The overview is present but could be more clearly articulated to provide a stronger summary of the overall patterns observed in the charts.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'however', and 'by contrast' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by slightly awkward phrasing, such as 'Initially, the sodium remained as the most consumed nutrient'. The transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is functional, but the internal structure of the body paragraphs could be more cohesive. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the data, which helps the reader follow your argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'consumption', 'proportion', and 'nutrients'. However, there are some instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'big figure' instead of 'higher proportion' or 'significant percentage'. The phrase 'all the nutrients consumption' is also slightly unnatural. While you successfully communicate the data, the vocabulary remains somewhat repetitive and lacks the precision required for a higher band score. Expanding your repertoire of comparative language would help elevate the quality of your analysis.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the snacks consume lowest amount' (missing articles) and 'all the nutrients consumption in breakfast meal did not show any higher figure' (awkward phrasing). Additionally, there are minor issues with punctuation and preposition usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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