Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-15

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 below illustrate the percentages of nutrients consumed in the three meals of the day which harm us if consumed more than normal.

Overall, sugar is consumed the most through the snacks and the biggest portion of the saturated fats and sodium comes from foods eaten during the dinner.

The largest amount of sodium comes from the dinner meals which is 43 percent followed by the lunch meals which includes 29 percent and the breakfast and snack are at 14 percent.

Saturated fats on the other hand are also consumed the most through dinner which is 37 percent followed by lunch, snack and breakfast respectively.

The added sugars are consumed the most in the form of snacks which is 42 percent. The dinner consists of 23 percent, lunch 19 percent and breakfast 16 percent.

We can say that sodium and the sugar consumption is relatively higher also being the most unhealthy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the charts and provided relevant comparisons. You clearly highlighted that dinner is the primary source for sodium and saturated fats, while snacks are the main source for added sugars. However, the response lacks a clear overview of the data as a whole, and the final sentence is somewhat vague. To reach a higher band, ensure that your summary highlights the most significant trends more explicitly and avoids listing every single percentage point, which can make the report feel like a mechanical data dump rather than an analytical summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific nutrient. You use some cohesive devices such as 'on the other hand' and 'followed by', which helps the flow of information. However, the paragraphing is quite limited, and the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother. The use of referencing is occasionally repetitive, and the overall structure would benefit from a more distinct separation between the overview and the detailed supporting data to improve the logical progression of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly, such as 'illustrate', 'consumed', and 'percentages'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'consumed' and 'meals'. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms or topic-specific collocations related to nutrition and data reporting. There are no significant spelling errors, but the range of vocabulary is not yet flexible enough to demonstrate the precision required for higher band scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'the lunch meals which includes 29 percent' (should be 'include') and 'the breakfast and snack are at 14 percent' (should be 'breakfast and snacks'). Additionally, the phrasing 'which harm us if consumed more than normal' is slightly awkward. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement will help improve your score in this area.

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

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