Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-19
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 pie chart below illustrates the average percentages with three different types of nutrients which are unhealthy if eaten to much.The three nutrients are sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA
In sodium, breakfast is 14%,lunch is 29%,snacks is 14% and dinner is 43%
In saturated fat, breakfast is 16%,lunch is 26%,snacks is 21%and dinner is 37%
In added sugar,breakfast is 16%,lunch is 19%, snacks is 42% and dinner is 23.
overall,in sodium dinner has hightest percentage compared to saturated fats and added sugars,whereas breakfast and snacks is the lowest. Furthermore,snacks has the hightest percentage in added sugars,whereas lunch is the lowest. Moreover, saturated fats has the highest percentage of snack,while dinner is the lowest.
Additionally, sodium has the highest dinner,while saturated fats had the highest breakfast whereas added sugar has hightest snacks
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The response attempts to present the data from the pie charts regarding sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars in typical US meals. However, the student fails to reach the 150-word minimum, containing only 139 words, which results in a necessary penalty under this criterion. While the main features are touched upon in the overview and body paragraphs, the method of listing data point-by-point in the second and third paragraphs is mechanical and lacks proper synthesis. Furthermore, there are several factual inaccuracies in the overview comparisons, such as stating that 'saturated fats has the highest percentage of snack, while dinner is the lowest', which misreads the provided visual data where snacks are actually lowest or dinner is lowest depending on the nutrient. Due to the under-length and data misinterpretation, the score is limited.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The response lacks standard essay structure, breaking down into a brief introduction, two repetitive list-like paragraphs, and a concluding overview paragraph that is placed at the end rather than the beginning. Paragraphing is poor and unsuited for an Academic Task 1 report. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes repetitive or misused (e.g., 'In sodium...', 'In saturated fat...'). There is no clear overall progression of ideas, as the data is dumped into lists followed by confusing comparative statements that contradict each other or the charts. Consequently, the organization feels disjointed and fails to guide the reader smoothly through the visual information.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.5
Vocabulary is basic and repetitive, relying heavily on words directly copied from the prompt such as 'average percentages', 'nutrients', 'sodium', 'saturated fats', and 'added sugars'. There are several word-form and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'eaten to much' instead of 'too much', 'hightest' instead of 'highest', and awkward phrasing like 'snacks is the lowest'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to demonstrate flexibility or precision, restricting the score to the lower bands. More varied synonyms and precise reporting verbs are required to discuss statistical data effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
The grammatical structures used are mostly simple lists or repetitive subject-verb-complement clauses (e.g., 'breakfast is 14%, lunch is 29%'). Complex sentences are virtually absent, and punctuation is weak, with missing periods and erratic capitalization (e.g., lowercase letters at the start of sentences like 'overall,in sodium...'). Subject-verb agreement errors are also present, such as 'breakfast and snacks is the lowest' and 'saturated fats has the highest percentage'. These persistent errors and the lack of a varied grammatical range constrain the performance under this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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