Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-12
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 illustrates the proportion of three type of nutrients in meals which contains sodium, saturated fats and added sugars consumed by The American population. Moreover, excessive intake of these food meals leads to health risk.
In detail, almost half of the proportion of the sodium served to the American population in dinner, which accounted for 43 % compared to higher than other food items. While, snacks and breakfast contained 14 % and 14 % sodium respectively. Furthermore, lunch reported 29 %. In the saturated fat section 37% recorded, followed by snack and breakfast 21% and 16 %.
Additionally, lunch registered 26% surpassed snacks and breakfast. 42% added sugar consisted in snacks followed by 23 % dinner and breakfast and lunch calculated 16% and 19%.
Overall, sodium and saturated fat mostly contained in dinner. While added sugar significantly available in snacks food. Moreover the proportion of the sodium , saturated fat and added sugar in the breakfast remained almost stable.
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 three nutrients and provides a clear overview of the main trends. However, the reporting of data is sometimes inaccurate or confusing. For instance, the statement 'almost half of the proportion of the sodium served... accounted for 43%' is slightly contradictory, and the description of saturated fats is incomplete, as the category for dinner is missing from the data provided. While the main features are identified, the lack of precision in comparing the figures (e.g., 'surpassed snacks and breakfast' without specifying the values) limits the clarity of the summary. To improve, ensure all data points are clearly linked to their respective categories and avoid vague comparisons.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs for the nutrients, and a concluding overview. Cohesive devices such as 'In detail', 'Furthermore', and 'Additionally' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel forced. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when discussing multiple categories at once. For example, the sentence '42% added sugar consisted in snacks followed by 23 % dinner and breakfast and lunch calculated 16% and 19%' is difficult to follow due to the lack of clear signposting between the four values. Better use of comparative structures would improve the logical flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors. Phrases like 'food meals' and 'saturated fat section 37% recorded' are unnatural. The student uses basic terminology such as 'proportion', 'accounted for', and 'recorded', which is sufficient but lacks the precision required for higher bands. There are also minor errors in collocation, such as 'significantly available', which should be 'predominantly found'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoiding repetitive sentence structures when describing data trends.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Subject-verb agreement is inconsistent, such as 'The pie charts illustrates' (should be 'illustrate') and 'three type of nutrients' (should be 'types'). There are also issues with preposition use and article omission, such as 'in snacks food' and 'in saturated fat section'. While the meaning is generally understandable, these recurring errors prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic agreement and article usage would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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