Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-17
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 compare the use of sodium, saturate fat, and sugar added in different meals such as snack, dinner, lunch, and breakfast of the USA.
The former chart provides information on Proportion of sodium used in different meals. 43% of sodium is used in dinner which is high compares to other. However, both breakfast and snacks contain only 14%. In lunch, 29% sodium is required.
The second graph highlights on saturated fat for same kind of means. saturated fat is most widely used in dinner which is 37%. 21% and 26% of saturated fat consume during snack and lunch, respectively.
same as sodium, 42% sugar is used in snack. Dinner contains 23% sugar while, lunch and breakfast contain only 16% and 19%, respectively. Which is less proportion compares to other type of meals.
overall, sodium is highly used in dinner compares to another ingredient. Although snack contain less sodium and saturated fat, it highly contains of carbohydrates. All three ingredients having a less proportion in breakfat.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to address all parts of the prompt by describing the average percentages of sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars in typical meals across four categories. However, the response contains several inaccuracies and unsupported claims. For instance, the student states that '42% sugar is used in snack' (which is correct), but then in the overview introduces information not present in the charts, claiming that 'snack highly contains of carbohydrates' and that 'sodium is highly used in dinner compares to another ingredient' (which is a flawed comparison between nutrients and meals). Furthermore, there are awkward phrasing issues such as 'saturate fat' and 'sugar added'. While the main features are touched upon, the lack of precise data synthesis and the introduction of external information prevent this response from achieving a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response has an identifiable structure with an introduction, body paragraphs dedicated to each nutrient, and an overall summary. However, the logical progression is hindered by poor paragraphing and mechanical transitions. Sentences are often disjointed, such as 'same as sodium, 42% sugar is used in snack' and the abruptly structured concluding paragraph. Cohesive devices are used repetitively or inaccurately (e.g., 'The former chart', 'The second graph', when the visual is typically referred to as pie charts). Paragraphing is weak, with body paragraphs lacking unified development and featuring abrupt shifts between ideas, placing the response firmly in the band 5 range.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently relying on simple words like 'used', 'contains', and 'high'. There are noticeable word formation and collocation errors, such as 'saturate fat' instead of 'saturated fat', 'sugar added' instead of 'added sugars', and 'high compares to other'. The range of vocabulary is limited to simple descriptions of the chart data, and attempts at less common lexical items are either inaccurate or awkward, such as 'less proportion compares to other type of meals'. While the meaning is generally communicated, the persistent lexical inaccuracies restrict the score to a band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is weak. There are frequent errors in verb forms, prepositions, and sentence structure, such as '26% of saturated fat consume during snack' (passive voice error), 'Which is less proportion compares to other type of meals' (sentence fragment), and 'All three ingredients having a less proportion in breakfat'. Spelling errors also occur, such as 'breakfat' instead of 'breakfast'. Although the basic meaning can be understood, the high density of grammatical errors across most sentences causes noticeable strain for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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