Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-28
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 chart illustrates the information about average percentage of sodium, saturated fats and added sugar in typical meals consumed in the USA. The data is caliborated in percentage.
Looking at the chart, it may infer that the highest proportion of sodium consumed by americans was noticed as 43% in dinner followed by added sugar consumed by american individiuals recorded as 42% in snacks. However, the third highest ration was noticed at sarturated fat eat by ameicans in dinner around 37%.
Turning towards the words, there is a minor diffrence between sodium, saturated fat and added sugar recorded as 14% in snack, 16% in breakfast and 16 in breakfast consumed by american peoples. Moreover the similarity had been seemed in sodium, added sugar and saturated fat during lunch noticed as 29%, 26% and 19% respectively.
overall, the highest ratio of sodium consumed by american peoples was noticed as 43% in dinner and the second highest added sugar apply by american peoples was noticed as 42% with the lowest diffrence noticed as 14% in snacks.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the charts across the four meals for all three nutrients. The student successfully highlights the highest proportions, such as sodium in dinner at 43% and added sugar in snacks at 42%. Comparisons are also attempted, noting similarities and differences between categories. However, the data interpretation is occasionally imprecise, such as the reference to 'sarturated fat eat by ameicans in dinner around 37%', and some comparisons in the third paragraph are confusingly phrased. Nevertheless, an overview is provided at the end, fulfilling the core requirements of Academic Task 1, placing the response securely in Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has an overall coherent arrangement with a clear attempt to group information logically by meal types and nutrients. Paragraphing is used, including a brief introduction and an overall concluding sentence. However, cohesion is frequently faulty and mechanical. The student relies on repetitive transition phrases like 'Looking at the chart' and 'Turning towards the words'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the third paragraph where sentences such as 'there is a minor diffrence between sodium, saturated fat and added sugar recorded as 14% in snack' lack clear structural progression and logical flow, making the relationships between data points difficult to follow. These issues limit the response to a Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic data points such as percentages and categories like 'sodium', 'saturated fats', and 'added sugar'. However, there are numerous lexical and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'caliborated', 'americans', 'individiuals', 'ration', 'sarturated', 'ameicans', 'diffrence', and 'peoples'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are marred by these inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'added sugar apply by'. Because these errors occasionally impede smooth reading and demonstrate limited control over word formation and spelling, the response meets the criteria for Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Looking at the chart, it may infer that the highest proportion...' and 'Moreover the similarity had been seemed in sodium...'. However, grammatical accuracy is weak, featuring frequent errors in passive voice formation, prepositions, and verb tenses (e.g., 'it may infer', 'fat eat by ameicans', 'similarity had been seemed'). Punctuation is also neglected in places, such as missing capitalization for proper nouns like 'Americans'. While the meaning can generally be deciphered, the high frequency of grammatical slips prevents the text from achieving a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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