Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-01

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)

Given graph depicts that maximum amount of the given 3 types of nutrients may not be beneficial if consumed highly.

Three main ingredients are sodium,saturated fats, and added sugar. In these graphs typically we are talking about increased intakes of these products by people in USA.

From above given compounds most intake of sodium have been seen in the dinner intake which is about 43% which cause high Blood pressure while fats are also eaten in dinner whose percentage is about 37% and lead to Obesity with different diseases.

While added sugars are taken through snacks with 42% which may lead to inevitable rise in Diabeties .Meanwhile when we look at the ratio of lunch and breakfast there is a slight decreased intake of all of 3 ingredients.

When we look at the above problems data is already telling us about these are only harmfull when taken in high amounts so it is very necessary to take these in limited amounts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task partially, providing some relevant information from the charts regarding sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars in the USA. However, the selection of data is incomplete and lacks a fully developed overview. While the writer correctly identifies certain peak values, such as sodium at dinner (43%) and added sugars in snacks (42%), the report includes irrelevant external commentary and personal assumptions, such as mentioning specific health consequences like high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes ('which cause high Blood pressure', 'lead to inevitable rise in Diabeties'), rather than strictly summarising the visual data. Furthermore, the overall trend is not clearly highlighted in a cohesive summary statement, keeping the response at this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some basic organisation in the essay, with separate paragraphs attempting to introduce the topic, discuss specific nutrients, and offer concluding thoughts. However, there is no clear overall progression of ideas, and the logical flow between paragraphs is disjointed. Cohesive devices are used rather repetitively or awkwardly, such as repetitive transitional phrases like 'When we look at...'. Paragraphing is also somewhat haphazard, mixing introduction and general premise without a distinct overview of the main features. Pronoun referencing and overall text organisation need to be significantly improved to establish a smoother, more logical progression throughout the report.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The writer relies on basic terminology such as 'amount', 'percentage', and 'intake', alongside noticeable word choice and word formation errors, such as 'increased intakes', 'decreased intake', and 'Diabeties' (spelling). There are also awkward phrasings like 'maximum amount of the given 3 types of nutrients may not be beneficial if consumed highly'. While communication is generally maintained despite these flaws, the range of vocabulary is restricted, and attempts at less common lexical items are largely absent or imprecise, preventing a higher score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and basic complex forms that are often faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with prepositions, articles, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'Given graph depicts', 'most intake of sodium have been seen', and 'data is already telling us about these are only harmfull'. Punctuation and capitalization are also inconsistent. These frequent errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader and reflect a restricted command of grammatical accuracy, placing the writing firmly at this specific band level.

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