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 given pie charts compares three dinstinct types of unhealthy nutrients proportion including sodium, saturated fats and added sugars, available in USA typical meals.
Overall, breakfast comprised equal proportion of saturated fat and added sugar, while in the dinner there is a high quantity of sodium expected. Moreover, added sugar expected to be largest proprtion in snack, while dinner comprised largest share of saturated fat.
The first chart demostrates sodium consumption in breakfast 14%. Whereas, the second and third chart presents the proportion of saturated fat and added sugar accounted for 16%. In addition, snacks followed a different consumption pattern, it recorded 14% of sodium, 21% of snack nad 42% of added sugar.
Meanwhile, dinner consisted higher proportion of sodium, accounted for 43% , saturated fat somewhere behind at 37% and least added sugar quantity comprised of 23%. Finally in lunch the sodium expected to reach 29%, which is followed by saturated fat constituted 26% and consumed dinner comprised 23% of added sugar.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully identifies the main features of the charts, addressing all three nutrients (sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar) across the four meal times. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting key extremes such as dinner being highest in sodium and snacks being highest in added sugar. However, some data points are misreported or awkwardly phrased, such as stating '21% of snack nad 42% of added sugar' (the 21% refers to saturated fat in snacks). Furthermore, data citations are sometimes incomplete or contain typographical and grammatical inaccuracies regarding the figures (e.g., confusing percentages with category names). Nonetheless, the response covers all parts of the prompt adequately, earning a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged into four paragraphs, following a logical layout with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the charts. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Moreover', 'Meanwhile', and 'Finally' are used to signal transitions between ideas. However, paragraphing and sentence-level cohesion occasionally feel mechanical or are hindered by awkward phrasing and referencing errors (e.g., 'snacks followed a different consumption pattern, it recorded...'). The progression of information is generally clear, but some sentences lack smooth integration, resulting in a somewhat disjointed flow. This places the performance firmly at Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'proportion', 'comprised', and 'consumption pattern'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors, including spelling mistakes ('dinstinct' instead of distinct) and faulty word choices/collocations (e.g., 'high quantity of sodium expected', 'dinner comprised largest share'). The repetition of words like 'comprised' and 'proportion' limits lexical flexibility. While communication is not severely impeded, the frequency of lexical inaccuracies prevents the score from rising above Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is inconsistent. There are several noticeable grammatical and structural errors throughout the text, such as passive/active confusion ('added sugar expected to be largest proprtion'), missing articles or prepositions, and faulty relative clauses ('consumed dinner comprised 23% of added sugar'). Punctuation errors, such as comma splices and misplaced commas before percentages, also occur. Although simple sentences are generally understandable, complex structures frequently contain errors that cause some difficulty or require re-reading, corresponding to a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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