Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-18
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 pie charts illustrate the proportions of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in meals utilized in the USA, if these nutrients consumed too much it would be unhealthy.
Overall, sodium accounted for the highest percent of nutrient present in dinner followed by breakfast and lunch contains the less amount.
It can be observed that sugar takes up 42% of the chart in snack making, while breakfast, lunch, and dinner amounting to fairly substantial portion of total percentage. Whereas, 37% of the saturated fat is used in dinner, snack and lunch were closely matched at 21% and 26% respectively. Although 16% of saturated fat is utilized in breakfast, it contributes to smaller amount in contrast to others.
Subsequently, 43% of the sodium is consumed in dinner, while snack and breakfast constitute same percent about 14% corresponding to the total and lunch made up 29% of sodium.
The graphs depict the irregular patterns of three nutrients used in typical meals in the USA, but excessive consumption may cause health problems.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all three nutrients across the given meal categories, presenting the main data points such as sodium peaking at dinner (43%) and added sugars dominating snacks (42%). However, the overview is somewhat simplistic and repetitive, mirroring the prompt rather than synthesizing the overarching trends effectively. There are minor inaccuracies in reporting; for instance, stating that lunch contains the 'less amount' for sodium is incorrect since breakfast and snacks are lower at 14% each, whereas lunch is 29%. Furthermore, the integration of data tends to list isolated figures rather than drawing comprehensive comparisons. Nevertheless, the core information from the charts is adequately represented, satisfying the basic requirements for this task at a Band 6.0 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'It can be observed', 'Whereas', and 'Subsequently'. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes mechanical and awkward, as seen in the sentence 'while breakfast, lunch, and dinner amounting to fairly substantial portion of total percentage', which lacks a proper verb and disrupts the flow. Paragraphing is attempted, but the body of the text is clustered into a dense block rather than being broken down logically by nutrient or meal type. Consequently, the progression of ideas feels slightly disjointed, placing the response firmly in the Band 5.5 to 6.0 range.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic numerical data and trends using terms like 'proportions', 'substantive portion', 'irregular patterns', and 'excessive consumption'. However, there are frequent lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'meals utilized in the USA' (instead of consumed) and 'snack making' (instead of snack consumption). The phrase 'less amount' should be 'lowest amount', and 'constitute same percent' lacks an article. While the student attempts less common vocabulary, the errors prevent the Lexical Resource score from reaching Band 7.0, making Band 6.0 a fitting descriptor for an adequate yet flawed range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and conditional elements (e.g., 'if these nutrients consumed too much it would be unhealthy'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, featuring missing auxiliary verbs, incorrect prepositions, and incomplete structures, such as 'breakfast, lunch, and dinner amounting to fairly substantial portion' lacking a finite verb. Another error is found in 'if these nutrients consumed too much', which is a passive fragment. While communication is not severely impeded and the meaning remains mostly clear, the frequency of errors in complex constructions keeps the score at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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