Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-10
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 compares the proportion of Sodium, Saturated fats, and sugars in snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner. All these nutrients are unhealthy if they are concumed too much.
Overall, dinner accounted for the largest propportion, while breakfast had the smallest share. In addition, comparison can be seen between the categories.
In Sodium, Dinner accounted for the largest share at 43%, followed by lunch which represented 29%. By comparison, Breakfaast and snack made up 14%. In Saturated fats, the propotion of dinner is about 37% and the largest proportion, while lucch stood at 26% and stood at second- highest.
Turning to the remaining categories, breakfast and snack constitued 16% and 21%. The figure for Added sugar stood at 23% in dinner. In contrast, lunch mad up to 19% and breakfast accounted for 16%. The figure for snack considerably high which made up 42% than that of other categories.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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 the main features and provided some comparisons, the analysis is somewhat mechanical. You have successfully highlighted the highest and lowest values for each nutrient, but the lack of sufficient length means the overview is not fully developed. To improve, ensure you provide a more comprehensive summary of the data trends and ensure you meet the minimum word count to avoid a penalty. The inclusion of all three nutrients is good, but the reporting of figures could be more analytical rather than just listing percentages.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'By comparison', and 'Turning to', which provide a basic structure. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes repetitive, and the paragraphing could be more balanced. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is clear, but the overall progression of ideas feels a bit disjointed due to the short, list-like nature of the sentences. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between data points will enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'constituted', and 'represented'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'concumed' instead of 'consumed', 'propportion', 'Breakfaast', and 'lucch'. These errors are noticeable and detract from the professional tone of the report. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise vocabulary to describe trends—for instance, instead of saying 'the figure for snack considerably high', you could use 'the figure for snacks was significantly higher'. Proofreading for spelling and word choice is essential.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. For example, 'In Sodium, Dinner accounted for...' should be 'Regarding sodium, dinner accounted for...'. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage, such as 'mad up to 19%' instead of 'made up 19%'. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. You should focus on mastering basic sentence construction and ensuring consistent verb tense usage throughout your report.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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