Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The pie chart gives the average ratio in typical meals of three types of nutrients, all of which can be unhhealthy if overeated. Overall, snack had highest ratio of added sugar whereas,it is lowest in sodium. The dinner had the largest percentage in saturated fat. On the other hand, snack and breakfast had equal proportion in sodium. Dinner had the highest amount of sodium and saturated fat ranging about 43% and 37%.Snack hold the highest ratio in added sugar about 42% while, lunch holds 26% of saturated fats. Breakfast had the lowest proportion in all three nutrients about 14% in sodium and 16% in both saturated fat and added sugar. Lunch had 29% of total sodium. On the other hand, dinner had only 23% of added sugar whereas, Snacks had lower concentration of sodium then it is a little higher in saturated fat about 21% and increased to huge percentage of 42% in added sugar
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student covers all three nutrients across the four meal categories, satisfying the basic requirements of the prompt. An overview is attempted at the beginning, noting key extremes such as snacks having the highest added sugar and dinner leading in saturated fat. However, the data presentation lacks a clear, structured analytical approach and contains minor inaccuracies or omissions regarding the exact figures provided in the prompt. For instance, the text states that 'breakfast had the lowest proportion in all three nutrients about 14% in sodium and 16% in both saturated fat and added sugar', but the data shows sodium at 14%, saturated fat at 16%, and added sugar at 16% (which is tied with breakfast for saturated fat, but breakfast is not the lowest for added sugar since lunch is 19% and dinner is 23%, though breakfast is 16% which is indeed the lowest for sugar). The response tends to list raw data points rather than synthesising meaningful comparisons. It meets the minimum length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is divided into an introduction/overview paragraph and a body paragraph, but the paragraphing is poor as the body of the text is crammed into a single block without line breaks. Logical progression is occasionally disrupted by abrupt shifts between nutrients and meals, such as jumping from sodium and saturated fat to added sugar and back again within the same sentence cluster ('Snack hold the highest ratio in added sugar about 42% while, lunch holds 26% of saturated fats'). Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes mechanically or incorrectly applied, evidenced by awkward transitions ('On the other hand,' used incorrectly for non-contrasting points). Referencing is sometimes confusing, and punctuation/spacing errors (such as missing spaces after periods and commas) detract from the overall readability and flow of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical range is somewhat limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms like 'ratio', 'percentage', 'proportion', 'highest', and 'lowest'. There are several spelling mistakes ('unhhealthy', 'overeated', 'then' instead of 'than') and awkward word choices or collocations, such as 'Dinner had the largest percentage in saturated fat' (where proportion or share might be more natural) and 'Snack hold' (subject-verb agreement error). While the student attempts less common vocabulary, inaccuracies in word formation and spelling constrain the lexical score to Band 5.0. Communication is maintained, but vocabulary control lacks the precision required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and punctuation is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('snack had highest ratio', 'The dinner had', 'Snack hold'), missing articles ('Dinner had', 'Lunch had'), and incorrect preposition use ('concentration of sodium then it is a little higher'). Punctuation is poorly handled, with multiple run-on clauses linked improperly with commas and conjunctions, alongside spacing errors after punctuation marks. While meaning is generally clear enough to follow, the high frequency of basic grammatical and mechanical errors places this response firmly at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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