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 charts illustrate the average percentages in everyday meals in the USA ,with three types of nutrients which the body needs but if taken in huge quantity, can prove to have harmful effects on the body.
The three types of nutrients that we consume in breakfast, lunch, dinner and as snacks are sodium, saturated fat and added sugars. Dinner being the most containing sodium and saturated fat with a percentage that is close enough like 43% and 37%, breakfast having the least e.g. 14% and 16%. Added sugar as 42%, being the most in snacks that we consume almost everyday.
Turning to the specifics, sodium and saturated fat have similar average percentages of 43% and 37% in dinner, breakfast which is a compulsory meal in our everyday lives, actually have the least amount of sodium and saturated fat in it, such as 14% and 16%. Snacks does not have that much of these nutrients, therefore, 14% and 21%, also proving to be containing the least amount.
Furthermore, a closer examination on added sugar reveals that it is consumed in an unhealthy way as snacks, showing to be 42%. Moreover, the breakfast and lunch having sugar in a low amount, such as 16% and 19%. Dinner has 23% added sugar.
In conclusion, we can say that ,dinner has the most amount of
of nutrients, therefore, it should be consumed in a balanced way. Snacks should be as well avoided having everyday, especially by children, as it can lead to most of the problems in our bodily functions and can cause toothache, fat accumulation and later diabetes as well.
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 the main features of the charts, identifying the highest and lowest values for each nutrient. However, the analysis is somewhat repetitive and lacks a clear, concise overview. The student struggles to present the data accurately; for instance, stating that dinner contains '43% and 37%' of sodium and saturated fat is a misinterpretation of the data, as these figures represent the proportion of the nutrient within that meal type, not a total. Additionally, the inclusion of personal opinions and health advice in the conclusion is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 report, which should remain objective and focused solely on the data provided.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by repetitive phrasing and awkward transitions. While cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' and 'In conclusion' are used, they are sometimes applied mechanically or incorrectly. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the connection between the nutrients and the meal types is muddled. The progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed, as the student repeats information about sodium and saturated fat across multiple paragraphs rather than grouping the data effectively for comparison.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There is significant repetition of basic terms like 'nutrients', 'amount', and 'consumed'. Some word choices are imprecise or unnatural, such as 'most containing sodium' instead of 'highest levels of sodium' and 'compulsory meal'. There are also minor errors in collocation and phrasing that occasionally make the text feel clunky. To improve, the student should focus on using a wider variety of synonyms and more sophisticated reporting verbs to describe the data trends.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('Snacks does not have', 'breakfast and lunch having'), punctuation errors (unnecessary commas), and awkward sentence construction. For example, 'Dinner being the most containing sodium' is grammatically incorrect. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader. The student needs to focus on basic sentence structure and ensuring that complex sentences are formed correctly to avoid these persistent errors.
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