Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-22
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)
These pie charts illustrates the percentages of three types of nutrients, sodium saturated fats and added sugar, in typical meals eaten in the USA.
The breakfast has about 14% sodium whereas, the amount of both, saturated fat and added sugar, is 16% in breakfast.
The dinner consists of a vast amounts of sodium and saturated fat as 43% and 37% respectively, while the added sugar in dinner is 23%.
However, the snack has the major quantity of 42% of added sugar in it with 21% of saturated fat and only 14% of sodium.
The lunch contains all three nutrients- sodium, saturated fat and added sugar as 29%, 26%, and 19%, respectively.
The amount of sodium in snack and breakfast is same as 14% while, lunch has only 29% and dinner has 43% of sodium- which is the highest quantity of sodium.
The quantity of saturated fat in four times meal is in the range of 16% to 37%, which seems to be balanced. Whereas, the breakfast shows the dramatic increase in quantity of added sugar to 42%.
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 response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the three charts regarding sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar consumption across typical US meals. Key data points are accurately identified, such as dinner containing the highest sodium (43%) and snacks containing the highest added sugar (42%). Comparisons are made between the meals, and an overview is attempted. However, the summary suffers from some data confusion in the concluding sentences, notably stating that 'breakfast shows the dramatic increase in quantity of added sugar to 42%', whereas the chart clearly shows this peak occurs in snacks. This inaccurate reference to the visual data prevents the response from reaching a higher band level, placing it solidly at Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized with a clear overall arrangement, devoting individual sentences to specific meals and nutrients. Paragraphing is attempted, though the text is split into many short, disjointed blocks rather than cohesive thematic paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'whereas', 'while', 'however', and 'respectively', though some connectors are mechanically applied or awkward in context. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of a unified structure and smooth progression between sentences limits the overall flow. The organization is sufficient to follow, but falls short of the fluency required for Band 7.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms like 'percentages', 'nutrient', 'consists of', and 'respectively'. There are several attempts to use less common vocabulary and comparative structures, such as 'vast amounts', 'major quantity', and 'dramatic increase'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'four times meal' instead of 'four meal occasions', and 'vast amounts' applied to a single percentage figure. Spelling is generally accurate, but lexical control is inconsistent, which aligns with the Band 6 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and comparative structures. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings throughout the text, such as 'These pie charts illustrates' (subject-verb agreement error), missing articles ('The breakfast', 'the snack'), and incorrect prepositions ('in four times meal'). Furthermore, the punctuation contains minor slips, such as the dangling dash in 'sodium- which is the highest'. Despite these errors, meaning is rarely impeded, and communication remains clear. The control of grammar corresponds to a Band 6 level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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