Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-23
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 charts below illustrates the average unhealthy nutrients found in the meals of USA citizens, for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Sodium content is the leading nutrient found in dinner and lunch meals. Leading with a total 72% over breakfast and snacks. Also, snack and breakfast show similar pattern in sodium and saturated fat content.( 14 to 21%).
Whereas dinner and lunch meals are mostly saturated fats and sodium content.
Breakfast and lunch meals depicted with the least sugar amount at 16% and 19 % respectively. On the other hand, snacks provide mostly sugar and saturated fats.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, containing only 98 words. This severely limits the depth of the overview and the selection of main features. While the student attempts to report some data, such as noting that dinner and lunch have high sodium (43% and 29%) and that snacks are highest in added sugar (42%), key comparisons are missing or inaccurate. For instance, the claim that dinner and lunch meals are 'mostly saturated fats and sodium content' is an exaggeration given the percentages. Furthermore, the overall picture of the three nutrients across the four meal times is incomplete due to the severe under-length nature of the submission.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response attempts to organise information by grouping ideas into short paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by the fragmented structure. Sentences like 'Leading with a total 72% over breakfast and snacks' are grammatically incomplete fragments functioning as separate paragraphs, which disrupts cohesion. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the vague link in 'Whereas dinner and lunch meals are mostly saturated fats and sodium content', which lacks a direct contrast in the subsequent clause. Cohesive devices are minimal, and paragraphing is underdeveloped due to the brevity of the response.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for basic description, featuring terms such as 'average unhealthy nutrients', 'content', and 'pattern'. However, the range is limited, and there are awkward word choices and phrasing, such as 'Leading with a total 72%' and 'depicted with the least sugar amount'. The student attempts some less common terms like 'saturated fats' and 'proportion', but overall, the lexical range is restricted by the short length of the text, preventing the demonstration of flexible or precise vocabulary use.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The text displays a mix of simple and attempted complex structures, but grammatical accuracy is compromised by several errors and fragments. Examples include the fragment 'Leading with a total 72% over breakfast and snacks' and the awkward phrasing in 'Breakfast and lunch meals depicted with the least sugar amount', which misses a passive verb. There is also punctuation misuse, such as an isolated parenthesis in '( 14 to 21%)'. While some basic sentences are accurate, the frequent errors and incomplete structures prevent the achievement of a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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