Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-02
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 percentages of USA people consuming sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in their diet.
Overall, the sodium and saturated fat consumption reported mostly in a dinner. In contrast, added sugar is prefer mostly in a snack time. All three nutrients, have little appeal in breakfast.
To begin, breakfast holds the least figures with 14% of sodium and 16% for both saturated fat and sugar. Likewise, 3 nutrients are not much considered by number of individuals in lunch, with figures of 29%, 26% and 19% for sodium, fat and sugar respectively.
Dinner amounted the highest percentage compared with other times of meals. Sodium consumed by the highest number of individuals by 43%. Followed by saturated fat, make up to 37% of total in dinner. While added sugar amounted for just 23%. However, in snack time, added sugar is more common with numbers of 42%. While sodium and saturated fat holds 14% and 21% respectively.
In summary, sodium and saturated fat are the ultimate choice in dinner time. In contrast added sugar have more appeal in snack time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response successfully identifies the main features of the data and makes relevant comparisons between the three nutrients across the four meal times. You have correctly highlighted that dinner is the primary source for sodium and saturated fat, while snacks are the main source for added sugar. However, the report could be improved by providing a more cohesive overview. While you mention the percentages, the analysis is somewhat descriptive and lacks a more analytical synthesis of the data trends. The inclusion of all necessary data points is accurate, and the task requirements are fully met.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body, and summary. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'To begin', and 'Likewise' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as '3 nutrients are not much considered by number of individuals', which makes the progression feel slightly mechanical. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the body paragraphs could be smoother to better connect the comparison of nutrients across different meal times.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'nutrients', 'consumption', and 'percentages'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'prefer mostly in a snack time' (should be 'preferred during snack time') and 'holds the least figures' (should be 'shows the lowest figures'). These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the score. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage, such as 'Dinner amounted the highest percentage' (should be 'Dinner accounted for the highest percentage') and 'sodium and saturated fat holds' (should be 'hold'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and tense consistency. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding the information. Increasing the variety of error-free complex structures would help improve your score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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