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)
The pie chart illustrates average percentage of 3 types of nutrients with can cause various health issues if eaten in excessive amount. The nutrients are sodium, saturated fat and added sugar.
The first chart is for Sodium, it shows percentage division in 3 major meals and 1 snack. About 43% of sodium is consumed in an average meal of dinner, 29% in lunch, while the least amounts is consumed in breakfast and snacks. The penultimate chart shows almost a similar amount of saturated fats consumed in lunch and snack, again highest is in dinner, stated as 37% and least amount in breakfast.
The 3rd and last chart is of added sugar, in which surprisingly the highest amount is in snack, which is about 42%, while breakfast and lunch is almost same (16% and 19%) and dinner is 23%.
If these nutrients are consumed in higher amounts it can be harmful for health.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response addresses the task only partially. While you mention the three nutrients and provide some data points, the selection of main features lacks sufficient detail and precision. For instance, stating that 'the least amounts is consumed in breakfast and snacks' for sodium is imprecise since breakfast and snacks both recorded 14%. Furthermore, your overview is largely absent, as you immediately dive into details without outlining the broader trends across the meals. To improve towards a higher band, you need to ensure all key comparisons are accurately reported and supported by a clear, overarching summary of the data presented in the charts.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is some basic organisation in your response, with the text broken into separate paragraphs for different nutrients and an introductory sentence. However, there is no clear overall progression linking the ideas smoothly together. You rely on mechanical and repetitive transitions such as 'The first chart is for Sodium', 'The penultimate chart', and 'The 3rd and last chart is of added sugar'. Additionally, referencing is sometimes unclear, such as your reference to 'the penultimate chart' when discussing saturated fats. To achieve a higher score, you should organise information logically without relying on mechanical listing phrases, and ensure smoother cohesive transitions between sentences and paragraphs.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, but the range is limited, showing noticeable errors that occasionally impact precision. Phrases like 'average percentage of 3 types of nutrients with can cause' contain word choice and form slips, and expressions such as 'highest is in dinner, stated as 37%' sound unnatural. You attempt some less common vocabulary, such as 'penultimate', but use it slightly awkwardly in the context of describing chart layouts. To reach a higher band, you should expand your range of vocabulary to describe statistical trends and ensure your word choices and collocations are natural and accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You demonstrate a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic compound structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('percentage of 3 types of nutrients with can cause', 'amounts is consumed') and missing articles ('in average meal of dinner'). Attempts at complex structures are sometimes faulty, leading to awkward phrasing. To improve your grammar score, you need to increase your control over complex sentence patterns, ensure correct subject-verb agreement, and pay closer attention to articles and prepositions within grammatical structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.