Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-31

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 the proportion of three potentially unhealthy nutrients sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in typical meals consumed in the USA.

Overall, dinner contains the highest proportions of sodium and saturated fat, at 43% and 37% respectively. Whereas, snacks account for the highest percentage of added sugar at 42%.

The breakfast contains the same percentage of saturated fat and added sugars at 16% but low proportion of sodium at just 14%. On the other hand, lunch accounts for the highest percentage of sodium at 29% but lowest in added sugar at 19%. But the percentage for saturated fat is 26% for lunch.

The snacks contains lowest proportion of sodium at 14% and the proportion of saturated fat for snacks is account for 21% which is significantly high as compared to sodium. But they contains highest percentage of added sugars at 42%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts, identifying key trends such as dinner having the highest sodium and saturated fat, and snacks having the highest added sugar. However, the response is 144 words long, failing to meet the 150-word minimum requirement. This under-length negatively impacts the task achievement score. While the main features are highlighted, the analysis is somewhat mechanical and lacks a more sophisticated synthesis of the data. To improve, ensure you meet the minimum word count and aim to group data points more logically to provide a more cohesive overview of the information presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Whereas', 'On the other hand', and 'But' are used to link sentences. However, the use of 'But' at the beginning of sentences is slightly informal for an academic report. Additionally, the paragraphing is a bit disjointed; the final paragraph is quite short and could have been integrated better. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would help elevate the score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with terms like 'proportion', 'nutrients', and 'consumed' used correctly. However, there are some repetitive structures and minor errors in word choice, such as 'is account for' instead of 'accounts for' and 'they contains' instead of 'they contain'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and lacks the precision required for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'highest' or 'lowest' and ensure subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The snacks contains', 'they contains') and article usage. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'at 16% but low proportion of sodium at just 14%'. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring consistent verb forms will help improve your performance in this area.

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

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