Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-28
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 illustrate the average proportions of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.
Overall, sodium and saturated fat make up the largest percentage in dinner, while added sugar found largest in snack.
Sodium and saturated fat found in dinner more than other meals, 43% and 37% respectively, followed by lunch, which these ingredient constitute 29% for saturated fat and just over a quarter for lunch, at 26%. In addition, both of them are almost equal in breakfast meal, 16% is standing for saturated fat and 14% is for sodium. However, in snack saturated fat comprise 21%, while sodium represent only 14%, meaning that sodium found less in breakfast
By contrast, add sugar found highly in snack, account for 42%, which is followed by 23% in dinner. While it only represent 19% in lunch, this ingredient is 16% in breakfast, making it the least meal contain sugar.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response provides a clear overview and identifies the main features of the data. You successfully highlighted the dominance of sodium and saturated fats in dinner and added sugars in snacks. However, the analysis is slightly hampered by inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you stated that sodium and saturated fat constitute 29% and 'just over a quarter' (26%) for lunch, but the charts show 29% and 26% respectively. Furthermore, the claim that 'sodium found less in breakfast' is confusing given the previous sentence. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are transcribed accurately and that comparisons are logically consistent throughout the report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific nutrients. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'However', and 'By contrast' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. For example, the transition between the discussion of sodium/saturated fats and added sugars is clear, but the internal cohesion within the second paragraph is weakened by grammatical errors that make the relationships between the data points difficult to follow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clear referencing would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportions', 'constitute', and 'respectively'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as '16% is standing for saturated fat' and 'making it the least meal contain sugar'. These errors occasionally impede the precision of your report. To improve, focus on using more natural collocations for describing data, such as 'account for', 'comprise', or 'make up'. Expanding your range of reporting verbs and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect clarity. Common issues include missing articles ('in snack', 'in breakfast'), subject-verb agreement errors ('sodium found less', 'add sugar found highly'), and awkward verb forms ('these ingredient constitute'). While these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, pay closer attention to basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that prepositions and articles are used correctly in a formal context.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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