Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-21
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 may cause diseases if eaten too much.
Overall, the given data is covers 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 the largest portion in added sugar. Furthermore, breakfast meal is almost the 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 covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the three pie charts regarding sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars in the USA. Key trends and comparisons are identified, such as dinner dominating sodium and saturated fats, while snacks peak in added sugars. An overview is present in the second paragraph, outlining these broad patterns. However, there are some minor inaccuracies or awkward phrasings in how the data points are reported, such as stating 'breakfast meal is almost the same in all the three pie charts' (which is only partially true for some categories, while breakfast sits at 14% and 16% respectively). Overall, the information is well-selected, fulfilling the core requirements of Task Achievement at a Band 6.5 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged into four paragraphs, following a logical structure from introduction to overview and specific body paragraphs detailing the categories. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'Furthermore', and 'while', to connect ideas. However, paragraphing and referencing can feel slightly mechanical or disjointed at times. For instance, the transition into the third and fourth paragraphs feels a bit abrupt, and punctuation errors around numbers (e.g., 'with, 43%') disrupt the flow. Progression is visible, but cohesion suffers from awkward phrasing and minor structural clumsiness, placing it firmly at a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common terms such as 'proportion', 'dominated', and 'minority'. However, there are notable word choice errors and unnatural collocations throughout the text. For example, the phrase 'the provided pie charts illustrate the proportion of meals in three different types of nutrients' is imprecise, as the charts show nutrients in meals, not proportions of meals. Similarly, 'Dinner is the meal which covers almost half... with, 43%' contains awkward phrasing and punctuation. While communication is not impeded, these lexical inaccuracies prevent the score from reaching higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in structure. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, such as 'the given data is covers in three nutrients', incorrect comma placements (e.g., 'with, 43% and 37%'), and missing prepositions or incorrect verb forms. Additionally, run-on structures or awkward clauses occasionally burden the reading experience, though the meaning remains generally clear. These errors demonstrate the characteristic profile of Band 5.5 to 6.0, where simple sentences are handled adequately, but complex constructions introduce frequent mistakes.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.