Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-24

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 5.0)

The Pie charts Illustrates the information about typical meals of three types of nutrients which is taken by people may be unhealthy for them if they took it too much in USA. It includes sodium, saturated fat and added sugar.

Overall, people taking these meals under snack, breakfast, dinner and lunch. The figures clearly shows added sugar is take by the Americans in snacks and it recorded the upward trend across in meals while sodium has creating highest meals which is eaten by people in dinner.

The sodium is take by people under snack and breakfast

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, significantly impacting the score. Because the response is only 96 words, it is severely underdeveloped. While you have identified the topic (nutrients in meals), you have not provided a comprehensive summary of the data. You have failed to report on all categories or provide meaningful comparisons between the three nutrients across the four meal types. To improve, you must ensure you describe the main features of all charts and support your statements with specific data points from the visuals provided. Currently, the response is too brief to adequately address the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is divided into very short paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link ideas, making the text feel disjointed. For example, the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is abrupt. The referencing is also unclear; phrases like 'it recorded the upward trend' are vague because it is not explicitly stated what 'it' refers to. To improve, use linking words such as 'furthermore', 'in contrast', or 'consequently' to connect your sentences and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, central topic that flows logically from the previous one.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You rely on basic terms like 'taking', 'meals', and 'types'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'sodium has creating highest meals' and 'sodium is take by people'. These errors occasionally impede the clarity of your message. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise academic vocabulary related to data description, such as 'proportion', 'consumption', 'fluctuated', or 'predominant'. Expanding your range of verbs and nouns will help you describe the charts more accurately and professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that affect readability. Specifically, there are issues with subject-verb agreement ('The Pie charts Illustrates', 'The figures clearly shows') and verb tense/form ('sodium is take', 'which is eaten'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensure that your verb tenses are consistent when describing data. Additionally, try to incorporate a wider variety of sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or passive voice, to demonstrate better control over English grammar.

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

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