Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-29
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 given chart illustrates the common percentages of three different types of nutrients in typical meals, these are unhealthy if eaten too much.
The three nutrients that are sodium, saturated fat and added sugar are of common percentages. The highest percentage in three is in sodium of dinner and the lowest percentage is also in sodium and is of snack.
Turning towards charts, in sodium the highest percentage is of dinner and is 42% and in saturated fat the highest percentage is also of dinner and is 37% and in added sugar the highest percentage is of snack and is 42%.
In sodium, the lowest percentages are two that are snack and breakfast and the percentages of both is 14% whether in saturated fat and added sugar the lowest percentages are common and are of breakfast and is 16%. Whether in sodium and saturated fat the percentages of lunch are between 26% to 29%. The percentage of snack in saturated food is 21% and the percentage of dinner in added sugar is 23%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the prompt by reporting information on the three nutrients across different meals. However, the task achievement is hindered by inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the student states that the highest percentage for sodium is 42%, whereas the chart clearly shows dinner sodium at 43%. Similarly, there are confusions regarding categories and values, such as referring to 'saturated food' instead of 'saturated fat'. While the main features are partially mentioned, the comparisons are underdeveloped and lack a clear, cohesive overview of the data as a whole. To reach a higher band, the student must ensure data points are accurately transcribed from the visual prompt and structure a more comprehensive overview comparing the trends.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is arranged into paragraphs, but the overall progression of ideas feels disjointed and repetitive. The student uses cohesive phrases like 'Turning towards charts' and 'Whether in sodium and saturated fat', but these devices are often unnatural, misused, or grammatically flawed, causing confusion in the logical flow. Paragraphing is attempted, but sentences within paragraphs bounce between nutrients and meals without a clear organizing principle, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparisons smoothly. To improve, the student should focus on using standard cohesive markers and grouping related data logically by meal or by nutrient category.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, heavily relying on words like 'percentage', 'sodium', 'saturated fat', 'added sugar', 'breakfast', 'lunch', 'dinner', and 'snack'. There are notable lexical inaccuracies, such as writing 'saturated food' instead of 'saturated fat' and awkward phrasing like 'the highest percentage in three is in sodium of dinner'. The range of vocabulary is barely adequate to communicate the task, preventing the response from achieving a higher band. The student needs to incorporate a wider variety of synonyms, reporting verbs, and precise phrasing to describe statistical data effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The grammatical structure of the response is limited, featuring frequent errors in sentence construction, prepositions, and verb forms. Examples include 'these are unhealthy if eaten too much', 'are of common percentages', and 'the percentages of both is 14% whether in saturated fat and added sugar the lowest percentages are common and are of breakfast and is 16%'. The excessive use of coordinate clauses linked by 'and' creates run-on, confusing sentences. While simple structures occasionally appear intact, complex structures are attempted clumsily. Frequent grammatical errors cause some difficulty for the reader and impede fluent comprehension.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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