Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-04
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 are showing about how much sodium, saturated fat and added sugar people eat in USA.
Firstly, for sodium dinner have the highest percentage with 43%, and lunch is come second with 29%. Breakfast and snack is same. It shows that people eating more sodium in dinner time than other meal.
For saturated fat, the chart shows dinner is again biggest part with 37% then lunch with 26%. breakfast is 16% and snack have 21%.
However, for added sugar the pattern is different from other two nutrients. Snack is largest amount, it have 42% that is nearly half of all sugar eaten by people. Dinner come after that with 23%, then lunch 19% and breakfast has 16%, this is the lowest.
In conclusion, we can see that dinner is main source for sodium and saturated fat, but for sugar, snack time is when people consume it the most.
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 covers all three nutrients and identifies the main features, such as the dominance of dinner for sodium and saturated fats, and snacks for added sugar. However, the overview is quite basic and lacks a sophisticated synthesis of the data. While the key trends are identified, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, simply listing percentages rather than grouping or comparing them in a more analytical way. To reach a higher band, the response should provide a more cohesive summary of the overall trends rather than just describing each chart in isolation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'For saturated fat', 'However', and 'In conclusion'. However, the use of these devices is somewhat repetitive and basic. The progression of ideas is clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and better referencing to avoid repetitive sentence structures. The paragraphing is appropriate for the task.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. The student relies on simple terms like 'biggest part', 'highest percentage', and 'different from other two'. There is little attempt to use less common or more academic vocabulary to describe trends (e.g., 'account for', 'constitute', 'predominate'). While the meaning is clear and there are no significant spelling errors, the limited lexical range prevents the response from achieving a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('lunch is come second', 'snack have 21%', 'dinner come after that') and missing articles ('in USA'). These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text, although they do not impede communication. To improve, the student needs to focus on basic verb conjugation and the correct use of articles and prepositions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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