Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-03
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 compare the amount of sodium , saturated fat and sugar which might be harmful for health if eat these ecceed in America .
In general, it is clear that the highest amount of sodium and saturated fat eat at dinner while sugar most uses in snacks .
According to the pie chart , the largest amount of sodium is used in dinner and lunch at 43% and 29% respectively . It comprises similar proportion to breakfast and snacks at 14% .
The proportion of saturated fat comprises the highest at 37% in dinner while the lowest proportion in breakfast in 14% . In terms of snacks and lunch, they are similar at 21% and 26% each .
Regarding sugar , its used the largest amount of snacks around 42% whereas breakfast uses the lowest to 16% . The percentages of lunch and dinner are 19% and 23% respectively .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the three charts and identifying key trends. You successfully highlight the main features, such as the high sodium and saturated fat content in dinner and the high sugar content in snacks. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, listing percentages rather than synthesizing the data into a more cohesive comparison. For instance, while you mention the percentages for each meal, you could improve by grouping the nutrients more effectively or highlighting the most significant contrasts between the three categories. The overview is present but could be more analytical to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with each nutrient discussed in its own section. You use basic cohesive devices like 'In general', 'According to', and 'Regarding', which help the reader follow the structure. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes repetitive, and the use of cohesive devices is a bit mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be more sophisticated to move beyond a simple list of data points.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey the necessary information clearly. You use terms like 'proportion', 'respectively', and 'exceed' correctly. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'eat these ecceed' and 'sugar most uses in snacks'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To achieve a higher band, you should focus on more natural collocations and avoid repetitive sentence structures when describing data, such as 'comprises the highest' or 'uses the largest amount'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'saturated fat eat at dinner', 'its used the largest amount'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some issues with spacing around commas. The errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, though they do not prevent the meaning from being understood. Increasing your control over basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement will help improve your score significantly.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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