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 given pie charts show the average percentage of three different types of nutrients, including Sodium, saturated fat and added sugar that are present in typical meals consumed in the USA. The data provided in each chart shows that the people in USA consume about 14% of sodium and 16% of saturated fat and added sugar in breakfast. At lunch time sodium intake is about 29%, staturated fat is about 26 % and added sugar is about 19%. The highest percentage of sodium and saturated fat is consumed at dinner time, which is about 43% and 37% and only 23% of added sugar is consumed at dinner time. Although the intake of added sugar is less at dinner but at snack time the it's percentage is highest which is about 42 %. Rest for the staturated fat the percentage is about 21% and for sodium the percentage is about 14% only.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all parts of the prompt well by summarising the main features of the charts across different meal times and making relevant comparisons. You successfully identify key data points, such as the peak sodium and saturated fat percentages at dinner time (43% and 37% respectively) and the highest added sugar percentage at snack time (42%). The overview of data is clear, though a concluding summary statement drawing together the overall trends would have strengthened the response further. However, all main features are adequately reported and supported with accurate data from the charts, meeting the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response maintains a coherent overall arrangement as it moves logically through breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack times. However, the text suffers from a major structural flaw: it is written entirely as a single, dense paragraph. The lack of paragraphing makes it difficult for the reader to navigate the transition between different meals. While basic cohesive devices are used to link ideas (e.g., 'At lunch time', 'Although', 'Rest for the'), referencing is sometimes awkward, as seen in the phrase 'Rest for the staturated fat the percentage is about 21%'. Better division of ideas into distinct paragraphs for introduction, body details, and overview is essential.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying numerical data and nutritional terms such as 'sodium', 'saturated fat', and 'added sugar'. However, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is noticeable repetition of basic structures ('is about', 'percentage is'). Furthermore, there are spelling and typographical errors, such as 'staturated' instead of 'saturated'. While these errors do not impede communication, the lack of flexibility and uncommon lexical items keeps the lexical score within the band 6 range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as concessive clauses ('Although the intake of added sugar is less at dinner...'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout the text, including 'the people in USA' (missing article), 'at lunch time sodium intake is' (missing preposition/punctuation), and 'at snack time the it's percentage is highest' (incorrect contraction and pronoun usage). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear and communication is not seriously impeded. The sentence control shows a moderate level of accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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