Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-27
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 average percentages of three types of ingredients such as sodium, saturated fats and added sugar in typical meals consumed in the USA. The excessive intake of these nutrients may be unhealthy if crosses optimal amount.
Overall the nutrients consumption in breakfast remained balanced while the dinner has higher consumption of sodium, fats.
The snacks has higher sugar content with 42% in total, shows unhealthy consumption of added sugar. The sodium and saturated fat content in snacks remained balanced ,14% and 21% respectively. The breakfast has a balanced nutrient content with sodium 14% , saturated fat 16% and added sugar 16%, shows healthy eating overall.
The lunch time food has 29% sodium, 26% of saturated fats and 19% of added sugar, depicts high sodium consumption. Moreover, the last meal, a dinner, has higher nutrients consumption comparatively. The dinner contains 43% of sodium, 37% saturated fat and 23% of added sugar, depicts unhealthy eating among people in USA.
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 successfully identifies the main features of the charts, including the key nutrient levels across different meal types. You have made relevant comparisons, such as noting that dinner has the highest levels of all three nutrients. However, the analysis is somewhat descriptive and lacks a clear, cohesive overview that synthesises the data effectively. While you mention that dinner is the most unhealthy, the report could be improved by grouping the meals more logically to highlight the trends rather than listing percentages meal by meal. The initial summary is a bit brief, and the interpretation of 'balanced' is subjective rather than data-driven.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'The snacks has...', 'The breakfast has...', 'The lunch time food has...'). The transition between sentences could be smoother; for instance, the jump from snacks to breakfast feels abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of varied linking words makes the flow feel a bit disjointed. Improving the use of transition signals like 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', or 'Conversely' would significantly enhance the logical progression of your ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data, such as 'excessive intake', 'nutrient content', and 'consumption'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'The pie charts illustrates' contains a subject-verb agreement error. Additionally, phrases like 'if crosses optimal amount' are slightly awkward and unnatural. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'constitute', 'account for', or 'predominate', and ensure that your subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'The pie charts illustrates' (subject-verb agreement), 'The snacks has' (subject-verb agreement), and 'if crosses optimal amount' (missing subject). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of commas and spaces (e.g., 'balanced ,14%'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to limit the score. Focusing on proofreading for basic agreement and article usage would help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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