Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The given pie chart shows the proportions of proper meals containing sodium, saturated fat and added sugar are eaten in the USA. Additionally, excess of which would cause problems.

In the first chart, the percentage of sodium in both breakfast and snacks are same, which contains 14% sodium. Apart from that, dinner contains the 43% sodium and 37% saturated fats, highest among the others.

Furthermore, breakfast contains about 16% which is least and same addition of saturated fats and added sugar. Snacks are filled with added sugars, about 42%.

Moreover, the proportion of sodium, saturated fats and added sugar in lunch is 29%, 26% and 19% respectively.

Overall, it is seen from the charts that the proportion of added sugar in snacks are on higher side which may be unhealthy. On the contrary, breakfast is balanced.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While you have identified some key features, such as the high sodium content in dinner and the high sugar content in snacks, the analysis is somewhat fragmented. You have not fully synthesised the information or provided a comprehensive overview that effectively compares the three nutrients across all meal types. The report lacks sufficient detail to fully satisfy the task requirements, and the under-length nature of the response prevents a more thorough exploration of the data trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is hindered by the brevity of the response. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore', 'Moreover', and 'On the contrary', the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the comparison between breakfast and snacks is slightly confusing. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that ideas are linked more fluidly to create a cohesive narrative rather than a list of statistics.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic descriptors like 'highest', 'least', and 'same'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'same addition of saturated fats' and 'proportion of added sugar in snacks are on higher side'. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use more varied and precise vocabulary to describe trends and data, such as 'predominant', 'constitute', or 'a significant proportion'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'the proportions of proper meals containing sodium... are eaten' is syntactically incorrect. You also have issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'the percentage of sodium in both breakfast and snacks are same' and 'the proportion of added sugar in snacks are'. Punctuation and article usage are also inconsistent throughout the text. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be beneficial.

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

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