Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

This is a pictorial representation showing pie charts providing glimpse of meals using three ingredients, as, consuming more than required could lead to obese lifestyle. The image depicts USA's populace incoporating the proportion of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar in much higher quantity.

Firstly, it is evident that items that are high in carbs and sodium are taken more during night which is around 35 to 45%, whereas sugars are more preferable in evening snacks.

On the other hand, breakfast comprises of all three nutrition more or less in similar quantity ranging from 14 to 16%. Additionally, during lunch, sweetness is less favoured over the other two.

However, intaking these in larger volumes take a toll onto lifelong diseases like diabeties, liver damage, obesity, this, in turn, would lead many drawbacks in path of a healthy lifestyle. Government should not only impose strict laws for fast food chains and restaurants to keep check on food, health and safety, but also spread awareness among citizens to keep track of their health. As the saying goes, an apply a day keeps a doctor away. Individuals need get back on track, it could be by following excercise routines.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarise the visual data regarding the consumption of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar in the USA. However, the student struggles to accurately report the main features and figures from the charts. For instance, the claim that items high in sodium are taken at around '35 to 45%' at night is overly broad, and the mention of breakfast contents ranging from '14 to 16%' is somewhat accurate (sodium is 14%, saturated fat and added sugar are both 16%), but the report lacks a cohesive overview of the entire dataset. More critically, a significant portion of the text is dedicated to lengthy personal opinions, recommendations for the government, and a proverb ('an apply a day keeps a doctor away'), which shifts the focus away from an objective Academic Task 1 summary into Task 2 territory. This lack of appropriate focus and under-developed reporting limits the score for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response has an organisational structure, making use of transition markers such as 'Firstly', 'On the other hand', and 'Additionally'. However, paragraphing is problematic; the student inappropriately mixes the data summary with personal opinions, policy recommendations, and irrelevant lifestyle advice in the final paragraph. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or awkwardly deployed, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the pronoun 'this' in the sentence 'this, in turn, would lead many drawbacks'. The overall logical progression breaks down in the second half of the response as the text transitions from data analysis into a generic public health lecture.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for basic communication, but it contains several inaccuracies, awkward word choices, and spelling errors. Examples include 'incoporating' (incorporating), 'intaking', 'diabeties' (diabetes), and 'excercise' (exercise). The student attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'populace' and 'lifelong diseases', but control is inconsistent. Additionally, inappropriate colloquialisms and cliches like 'take a toll onto' and 'an apply a day keeps a doctor away' detract from the academic register required for Task 1. Lexical control is generally at a Band 5 or 6 level, struggling with precise collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The text displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but it is heavily marred by grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. Examples of errors include subject-verb agreement issues ('breakfast comprises of', 'Individuals need get back'), incorrect prepositions ('in path of', 'take a toll onto'), and clumsy clause structures ('meals using three ingredients, as, consuming more than required could lead to obese lifestyle'). Punctuation errors, such as comma splices ('Individuals need get back on track, it could be by following...'), also occur frequently. While communication is not entirely obscured, the high density of grammatical inaccuracies prevents the response from achieving a higher band.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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