Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-11

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 given pie charts illustrates the average amounts of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in the typical meals consumed in the USA, which depicts that if consumed more than required, might cause obesity.

Overall, dinner results in the highest percentage of intake of sodium and saturated fat in typical meals taken in the USA.,

The sodium intake has been consumed the most during dinner compared to the other meals of the day. The same can be said to saturated fats, as it is consumed the most during dinner. In contrary, snack takes up 42% of added sugars followed by dinner and lunch.

Breakfast consists of minimum amounts of sodium, saturated fats and added sugar. Furthermore, these three nutrients present in lunch at average is approximately around 20-29%, resulting in considerable amount.

Although the proportion of added sugar was massively present in snack while it has minimum amount of sodium and saturated fats

So, the general trend is that the typical meals consumed in the USA has large amounts of sodium and saturated fats in dinner and snack ranking at the top for containing added sugar, the least amount of the three components can be seen in breakfast.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features and made relevant comparisons between the three nutrients. You correctly highlighted that dinner is the primary source of sodium and saturated fats, while snacks dominate in added sugars. However, the response could be improved by providing more precise data points to support your claims. For instance, when mentioning that lunch nutrients are 'approximately around 20-29%', it would be more effective to cite the specific percentages from the charts. Additionally, the opening sentence includes unnecessary information about obesity, which is not part of the provided data. Focusing strictly on the visual information provided would make your summary more professional and accurate.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas from an overview to specific details. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In contrary', 'Furthermore', and 'Although', which help guide the reader. However, some of these devices are used incorrectly or awkwardly. For example, 'In contrary' should be 'In contrast' or 'Conversely'. Additionally, the final paragraph is a bit repetitive, restating information already covered in the body paragraphs. Improving the variety and accuracy of your linking words would help the flow of your writing feel more natural and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the main points of the charts. You use terms like 'proportion', 'nutrients', and 'typical meals' appropriately. However, there are some issues with word choice and collocation. For example, 'The sodium intake has been consumed the most' is slightly unnatural; 'Sodium intake is highest' would be better. You also use 'massively present', which is not the most academic collocation for describing data. Expanding your range to include more precise reporting verbs and adjectives would help you reach a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For instance, the opening sentence has a subject-verb agreement error ('The given pie charts illustrates'). There are also punctuation issues, such as the unnecessary comma after 'USA.' and the lack of a comma after the introductory clause in the final paragraph. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of sentence-level mechanics.

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