Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-13

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 5.0)

The pie charts illustrate information about average percentages in simple meals of three categories of food, which may be unhealthy in a significant number of use.

Overall, all three graphs look very similar, but the added sugar category is very different compared with others.

Dinner has the highest percentage of unhealthy food in two categories of nutrients, in the first type the percentage is about 43%, while in saturated fat it had declined to just about 37%, and by the end dinner has significantly decreased to over 23%. Lunch is much lower than dinner, but still placed in second place in two types of food, in the first category, it has just over 29%, in the second type it had decreased to over 26%, and in the last category lunch has sharply declined to about 19%.

Snack was the lowest meal in the sodium with just over 14%, but in the second category it had increased to over 21%, and by the end it had dramatically increased to about 42% and became the highest percentage compared with others. At the same time, breakfast had 14% in sodium, and had increased to 16% in saturated fat and did not have any changes in third category.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to address the prompt by summarising the data from the charts regarding sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars in typical US meals. However, the report suffers from significant weaknesses in data reporting. Rather than naming the nutrients correctly throughout, the student refers to them vaguely as 'in the first type', 'second type', and 'third category', which makes it difficult to follow which nutrient is being discussed. Furthermore, while some main features are captured, such as dinner leading in sodium and snacks leading in added sugars, there are inaccuracies and a lack of precise comparison across all four meal times. The response provides a basic overview but fails to fully satisfy the requirement to select and report main features systematically, placing it in Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is divided into four paragraphs, including an introduction and an overview. However, logical progression within the body paragraphs is frequently disrupted by confusing referencing and a lack of clear cohesive devices. Phrases like 'in the first type', 'second type', and 'and by the end' are repetitive and mechanical, making it hard for the reader to track the flow of information. The relationship between sentences is often disjointed, particularly in the third and fourth paragraphs where multiple clauses are crammed together with simple coordinating conjunctions like 'and'. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion is inadequate, which is characteristic of a Band 5.0 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a limited range of vocabulary that is barely adequate for the task. Throughout the response, precise terms for the nutrients are largely replaced by vague descriptors such as 'three categories of food', 'first type', and 'third category'. There are also awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'significant number of use' instead of 'excessive amounts'. While common words are generally spelled correctly, the lack of specific topic-related vocabulary and reliance on repetitive general terms prevents the response from achieving a higher band. This lexical profile aligns well with Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complexity often result in grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. For instance, sentences like 'Dinner has the highest percentage of unhealthy food in two categories of nutrients, in the first type the percentage is about 43%, while in saturated fat it had declined...' contain run-on structures and comma splices. Tense usage is also inconsistent and occasionally illogical, such as shifting incorrectly into past tenses ('it had declined', 'it had increased') when describing static chart data. Frequent errors in grammar and punctuation cause some difficulty for the reader, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptors.

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

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