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 bar chart illustrates the average proportion in typical meals of three different types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if they are eaten too much.
Overview, average proportion of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA.
In dinner sodium consumes too much. While, snack are high consuming meal with added sugar.
In dinner, people are consuming sodium with a high percentage around 43% where staurated fats are 37% and added sugar is 23%. In snacks, people are taking less sodium around 14% and saturated fats around 21%. However, added sugar are very high in snacks with 42%.
In breakfast, people are consuming as well healthy food but sodium is around 14%. Moreover, saturated fats and added sugar having same proportion in breakfast around 16%. In contrast, Sodium is high in lunch around 29% and saturated fat is around 26%. Added sugar is very low in lunch with 19%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the prompt by reporting data on sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars in typical US meals, although the visual aid was actually pie charts rather than a bar chart. Some main features are correctly identified, such as dinner being the highest source of sodium (43%) and snacks being the highest for added sugar (42%). However, the overview is written as a fragmented bullet point rather than a cohesive paragraph, and the overall summary is weak. The student misses some key comparisons between the three nutrients across different meal types. Consequently, the response meets the minimum task requirements but stays at a modest band level due to underdeveloped overview and structural issues.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5
The text is organized into paragraphs, but the cohesion and logical flow are heavily disrupted by unusual formatting and awkward transitions. Specifically, the student includes a standalone line labelled 'Overview,' which fails to function as a proper introductory or overview paragraph. Cohesive devices are used mechanically or inappropriately, such as 'While, snack are high consuming meal' and 'In breakfast, people are consuming as well healthy food'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs suffers from repetitive phrasing and poor sentence linking.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is quite basic and repetitive, frequently reusing terms like 'consuming', 'meals', 'percentage', and specific nutrient names. There are noticeable lexical and collocation errors, such as 'sodium consumes too much', 'high consuming meal', and 'staurated fats' (spelling error). The student attempts some less common vocabulary related to the prompt, but inaccurate word choice and awkward phrasing impede clarity in several places. The range is minimally adequate for the task, but lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher band scores.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
The writing contains a mix of simple and somewhat complex sentence structures, but grammatical accuracy is quite low. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement, preposition use, and word form, such as 'snack are high consuming meal', 'added sugar are very high', and 'saturated fats and added sugar having same proportion'. Punctuation and article usage also show frequent lapses. While simple sentences are generally understandable, attempts at more complex structures often result in faulty grammar that requires reader effort.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.