Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)
The three pie charts illustrates the proportion of the average percentage in typical meals of three stages of nutrients, all of which can be unhealthy if eaten excessively.
Overall, there are three types of nutrients: sodium, saturated fat and added sugar and all of them consists of four slices: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.
Firstly, in the United States most commonly used nutrient is sodium. Secondly, the percentage of consumption of sodium is 43% in dinner through out the states. However, in case of lunch the percentage of consumption is 29%. Moreover, the scenario of the snack depicts that usage of sodium is same as that of breakfast is
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response is severely incomplete, stopping mid-sentence at only 109 words, which fails the 150-word minimum requirement. Consequently, the report does not provide a complete overview or compare all three nutrients properly. While the student attempts an introduction and begins describing sodium consumption (e.g., 'the percentage of consumption of sodium is 43% in dinner'), the abrupt cut-off prevents full task fulfillment. Due to the incomplete nature of the response and failure to meet the length requirement, this is awarded a band 4.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The text begins with a standard introductory sentence and attempts some basic organization using sequence markers such as 'Firstly' and 'Secondly'. However, because the text cuts off abruptly in the middle of a sentence ('usage of sodium is same as that of breakfast is'), logical progression cannot be fully established. Paragraphing is also disrupted by the incomplete format. Cohesive devices are used mechanically at this stage. Based on these organizational shortcomings and the truncated text, a band 4.0 is appropriate.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student attempts some topic-specific vocabulary related to the charts, such as 'proportion', 'average percentage', 'nutrients', and 'consumption'. However, there are notable lexical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'three stages of nutrients' instead of 'three types of nutrients'. Vocabulary is generally basic and repetitive, and the truncation prevents the demonstration of a wider lexical range. Communication is hindered by the lack of completion, placing this component at a band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('all of which can be unhealthy if eaten excessively'). However, there are noticeable grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The three pie charts illustrates') and awkward phrasing ('most commonly used nutrient is sodium'). Furthermore, the response is incomplete, ending mid-sentence. Despite these errors, the individual clauses that are finished demonstrate basic grammatical control, justifying a band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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