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 provided pie charts illustrate the proportion of meals in three different types of nutrients consumed in the USA, which are may be caused diseases if eaten too much.
Overall, the given data is provided in three nutrients, sodium, saturated fats and added sugar. The largest percentage is taken by dinner meal in sodium and saturated fats, while snacks is largest portion in added sugar. Furthermore, breakfast meal is almost same in all the three pie charts.
Dinner is the meal which covers almost half of the pie chart in sodium with, 43% and 37% in saturated fat, while in added sugar section takes the second place with, 23%. Snacks with minority in sodium takes only, 14% and 21% in saturated fats, but in added sugar it takes the largest proportion with 42%.
Breakfast and lunch accounted for 14% and 29% respectively in sodium, breakfast is same in saturated fats and added sugar with 16% each, whereas lunch accounted for 26% in saturated fat and 19% in added sugar.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the three pie charts regarding sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars in typical US meals. An overview is provided, noting key trends such as dinner dominating sodium and saturated fats, while snacks lead in added sugars. Key data points are accurately reported, such as dinner accounting for 43% of sodium and snacks taking 42% of added sugars. However, there are minor awkward phrasings in the overview ('The largest percentage is taken by dinner meal in sodium...'), and some comparisons could be more fully developed to reach a higher band. Nevertheless, the response covers all required visual information accurately and presents a clear summary, aligning well with the Band 6.5 to 7.0 range.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas. It is divided into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs detailing the specific data for each nutrient. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Furthermore', 'while', and 'whereas'. However, paragraphing and referencing occasionally feel slightly mechanical, and sentences like 'Dinner with, 43% and 37% in saturated fat, while in added sugar section takes the second place with, 23%' suffer from awkward punctuation and structural clunkiness. Despite these minor cohesive slips, the logical organization is clear and easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 6.0 performance.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms such as 'proportion', 'percentage', 'minority', and 'respectively'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, but these are occasionally marred by word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'which are may be caused diseases' and 'Snacks with minority in sodium'. Spelling is generally accurate, but lexical control is inconsistent. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and comparative structures. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, such as 'which are may be caused diseases' (modal and voice error), 'dinner meal in sodium and saturated fats, while snacks is largest portion' (subject-verb agreement), and awkward comma placements separating prepositions from their objects. While these errors do not seriously impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from achieving a Band 7.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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