Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 illustrates information about average quantity of nutrient in typical food which can be harmful for health if consumed too much.

Here we can see three pie-charts which contains information about quantity of sodium , saturated fat and amount of sugar. each meal contains different level of nutrients if it is too high it can be affect health.

here, amount of sodium is different meals of day is on moderate level but in the lunch and dinner amount of sodium is highest among all meals as 43% and 29% how ever snacks and breakfast contains similar amount of sodium 14 %.

for saturated fat it is different like dinner and lunch combined contains almost 63% saturated fat well snacks and breakfast has 21% and 16 % of saturated fat.

for sugar snack is biggest source of sugary food which contains 42 % sugar where breakfast and lunch combine only contains 35% of sugar which is less than snack however, dinner contains 23% sugar which is moderated level.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides an overview of the charts and identifies some key features, such as the high sodium content in lunch and dinner and the high sugar content in snacks. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and lacks a clear, cohesive summary of the main trends. The reporting of data is occasionally inaccurate or confusing, such as when describing the combined percentages for saturated fat and sugar. To improve, you should focus on grouping the data more logically and ensuring that comparisons are precise. The overview is present but could be more effectively integrated to highlight the most significant differences between the three nutrients.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is often mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'for' to start sentences. Referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing combined percentages, which makes the logic difficult to follow. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks a clear progression of ideas. To reach a higher band, you should use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that guides the reader through the data.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'amount of' and 'contains' are used repeatedly throughout the text. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'can be affect health' instead of 'can affect health' and 'moderated level' instead of 'moderate level'. To improve, you should aim to use a more varied range of vocabulary to describe trends and quantities, such as 'account for', 'constitute', or 'a significant proportion', and pay closer attention to the correct form of words.

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, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('three pie-charts which contains'), missing articles ('amount of sodium is different meals'), and punctuation errors. These errors occasionally make the text difficult to read, although they do not completely impede communication. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly the use of articles and verb forms, before attempting more complex structures. Proofreading for common errors like pluralisation and verb tense consistency would also be highly beneficial.

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