Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-20
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 charts displays the average percentage in typical meals of three types of nutrients , all of seems to be unhealthy if eaten too much .
overall , the breakfast consumption in three charts were the least amount in all nutrients . The dinner is typical meal that consumed the highest amount in both sodium or saturated fat charts , however other meals consumption in both charts were flucatated as around same margin in sodium or saturated fat . where as added sugar has more consumption in snacks despite of dinner , lunch and breakfast .
The typically meal that consumed too much sodium in dinner with up to 43% which seems to be unhealthy of eaten , lunch also consume too much sodium with 29% , where as breakfast and snacks were as amount consumption in sodium up to 14 % . On the other hand the consumption of saturated fat in dinner is 37% & in lunch saturated fat consume 26% . Although in snacks fat is 21% and least amount of fat consume in breakfast with 16% .
In consumption of added sugar in snacks is 42% which was unhealthy for diet . where as 23% of sugar were consume in dinner , however in lunch sugar consumed 19% and the least amount of sugar consume in breakfast with 16% , meanwhile in breakfast the unhealthy nutrient where consume low in all three charts .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features across all three nutrient charts and making relevant comparisons. An overview is attempted at the beginning of the second paragraph, noting that breakfast contributed the least across all nutrients, and pointing out the highest categories such as dinner for sodium and saturated fats, and snacks for added sugar. However, the data reporting is somewhat repetitive and contains a few minor inaccuracies in phrasing and percentage descriptions. While the main trends are adequately identified, the overall organization and data synthesis could be tighter to reach a higher band. Overall, the requirements for task achievement are met satisfactorily.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the response into introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. However, logical progression is frequently hindered by awkward transitions, punctuation errors, and mechanical cohesive devices such as 'where as' and 'on the other hand'. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion within paragraphs is sometimes faulty due to run-on sentences and unclear referencing. While the relationships between the data points can generally be understood, the flow is disrupted by repetitive sentence stems and poorly controlled conjunctions.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to discuss percentages, nutrients, and meal times. However, the range is limited and there are noticeable errors in word choice, form, and collocation, such as 'charts displays', 'typical meal that consumed', and 'flucatated'. Less common vocabulary is attempted but often misused or ungrammatical (e.g., 'consumption' used as a verb). Spelling errors also occur. These lexical inaccuracies occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, placing the response firmly in the band 5 range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'The charts displays', 'The dinner is typical meal that consumed'), incorrect prepositions, and faulty relative clauses (e.g., 'all of seems to be unhealthy'). Punctuation is also problematic, with spaces before commas and periods. While meaning is generally conveyed despite the errors, the high frequency of grammatical slips limits the score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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