Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-02
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 average percentage in typical foods of three types of nutrients, which may be unhealthy if we consumed more this information contain this pie chart.
Overall, after a quick glance, it can be clearly seen that in USA dinner are more sodium and saturated fat in the two pie chart and the least part is breakfast in the given chart.
It can be clearly observed that in the case of sodium dinner is covering 43% and the saturated fat occupied only 37% in the dinner and in the sector of added sugar dinner is 23%. In addition to it, the lunch is almost same in the sodium and saturated fat 29% and 26% respectively. the largest consumption is snack in the added sugar which is covers 42%. In the other hand side, saturated fat and added sugar the meal of breakfast is same 16% but it is decrease 2% in the sodium section. Furthermore, dinner may be contain different percentage in various catogiers.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by selecting and reporting the main features of the charts, satisfying the requirements for this band level. The student successfully identifies key data points, such as the highest consumption of sodium and saturated fat occurring at dinner (43% and 37% respectively), and notes that added sugar peaks during snacks at 42%. Relevant comparisons are also made, such as lunch having almost identical sodium and saturated fat percentages at 29% and 26%. However, some parts of the response are more fully developed than others; for instance, the overview sentence is overly simplistic and grammatically tangled ("dinner are more sodium and saturated fat in the two pie chart"), and the final sentence offers a vague concluding remark rather than a fully developed synthesis. To move to a higher band, the overview needs to be sharper and clearly outline the main trends without getting bogged down in clumsy syntax.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
The response demonstrates some organisation, but it lacks a clear overall progression and suffers from mechanical and faulty cohesion. The essay is presented as a single dense block of text rather than being properly paragraphed into an introduction, body, and overview. While some basic cohesive devices are attempted, such as "In addition to it" and "Furthermore", referencing is frequently unclear and awkward, as seen in phrases like "in the other hand side". The logical flow between sentences is disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the progression of data. To achieve a higher band, the student must group related ideas into logical paragraphs, ensure clear referencing throughout the text, and use a wider and more accurate range of cohesive devices to smoothly connect sentences.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic data such as percentages and meal categories (e.g., "sodium", "saturated fat", "added sugar", "breakfast", "dinner"). However, there are noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and word form that cause some difficulty for the reader, such as "catogiers" (categories), "consumption is snack" (consumption is snacks), and stating that dinner "are more sodium". The student attempts some less common vocabulary, but inaccurate control over word forms and spelling restricts the response to this band. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to expand their lexical repertoire with precise vocabulary and collocations, and eliminate spelling and word-choice errors to ensure smooth communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response exhibits a limited range of grammatical structures, relying primarily on simple sentences alongside a few attempts at complex forms that are frequently faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ("dinner are more"), missing articles ("the lunch is almost same"), incorrect prepositions ("in the other hand side"), and awkward phrasing ("if we consumed more this information contain this pie chart"). These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader, though the core meaning can generally be deciphered. To move up to the next band, the student needs to demonstrate a greater variety of error-free complex sentences, improve control over basic grammatical agreements, and refine punctuation and clause structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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