Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-30
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 pie chart illustrates the average percentage of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar presence in daily typical meals of US citizens, which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.
Overall , it is clear that the highest proportion of sodium and saturated fat is consumed through dinner and the snack considered for the largest share of added sugar.
In daily meals of US peoples the presence of sodium in dinner is 43%, 29% in lunch, were snack and breakfast is having 14% of sodium. In breakfast, the US population consume the lowest amount of saturated fat and added sugar is 16%. Saturated fat presence contribute around 26%,27% and 21% in lunch, dinner and snack, respectively.The highest quantity of added sugar is present in snack that is 42%, the food US citizens eat in dinner usually consist of 23% of added sugar and lunch meals contain around 19% of sugar.
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 student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by summarizing the main features of the charts regarding the three nutrients. An adequate overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the key extremes (dinner for sodium and saturated fat, snacks for added sugar). However, there are some minor data inaccuracies in the body paragraph; for example, the student writes 'were snack and breakfast is having 14%' for sodium, whereas the chart shows breakfast at 14% and snacks at 14% separately, and later mentions '26%, 27% and 21%' for saturated fat when the chart indicates lunch is 26%, dinner is 37%, and snacks are 21%. Despite these minor misreadings, the core comparisons are presented, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized into three paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and a detailed body paragraph. The overall progression is generally coherent, moving from general trends to specific data points. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped because the overview is squeezed into a single sentence right after the introduction, and all detailed figures are lumped together into one very dense body paragraph. Cohesive devices are used, but sometimes mechanically or awkwardly, such as 'were snack and breakfast is having' or starting multiple clauses abruptly. Referencing is mostly clear, but the lack of clear segmentation between different nutrients within the body paragraph affects readability.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully using terms such as 'proportion', 'consume', 'quantity', and naming the specific nutrients. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'daily typical meals', 'snack considered for the largest share', and 'presence of sodium in dinner'. Furthermore, non-standard phrasing like 'US peoples' and repetitive use of basic verbs ('is having', 'consume', 'is present') limit the score. While meaning is generally conveyed, the lexical limitations prevent the response from reaching Band 6.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing instances, such as 'average percentage of sodium... presence in daily typical meals', 'were snack and breakfast is having', and 'Saturated fat presence contribute'. Subject-verb agreement issues ('snack... is having', 'presence... contribute') and incorrect prepositions appear throughout the text. While these errors do not completely obscure the intended meaning, they occur with sufficient frequency to place the grammar firmly in the Band 5.5 range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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