Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The three pie charts illustrate the proportion of meals in USA, which are categorised in three nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.
Overall, In USA sodium is majorly consumed in dinner among all the nutrients. In contrast, saturated fat in typical meals is the least eaten nutrient in breakfast.
In USA, people are having sodium mostly in dinner accounted for 43%. Whereas, this figure is considerably lower in snack and breakfast represented an equal proportion of 14%. Added sugar on the other hand, is mostly eaten at snack made to 42% and 23% at dinner. While most of the saturated fat is eaten at dinner with 37% of the proportion, it stood at the bottom at breakfast represented to 16%.
Sodium at lunch time is taken twice as higher than breakfast. Whereas, saturated fat is consumed at breakfast is slightly lower than the snacks an
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 addresses all parts of the task by summarizing the main features of the charts regarding the average percentages of sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars in typical US meals. An appropriate overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting the highest and lowest consumption points (such as sodium being mostly consumed at dinner). Comparisons are made between meals, as seen when noting that sodium at lunchtime is taken twice as high as at breakfast. However, the text trails off abruptly at the end ('saturated fat is consumed at breakfast is slightly lower than the snacks an'), which leaves the final comparison incomplete. Despite this minor truncation, the response covers the key data points well.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The report has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs dedicated to detailing the data. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Whereas', and 'On the other hand' are used to link ideas and contrast data points effectively. However, paragraphing is somewhat fragmented, and the abrupt ending disrupts the logical progression of the text. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of a concluding sentence or completed final clause means cohesion suffers slightly towards the end of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The lexical range is adequate for the task. The student attempts less common vocabulary and appropriate statistical terms such as 'proportion', 'categorised', 'considerably lower', and 'represented an equal proportion'. There are some awkward phrasings or word choices, such as 'people are having sodium mostly in dinner accounted for 43%' and 'made to 42%', which lack natural collocation. Spelling is generally accurate, but vocabulary control fluctuates between suitable academic terms and slightly colloquial expressions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses ('which are categorised in three nutrients') and comparative structures ('twice as higher than'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, notably 'sodium in USA is majorly consumed in dinner among all the nutrients' (awkward preposition and adverb choice), 'represented to 16%', and the incomplete sentence at the very end of the text. While these errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they prevent the grammar score from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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