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 pie charts illustrate the average percentage of sodium, saturated fats, and added sugar in routine meals taken by people in the USA.

Sodium consumed in breakfast and snack is (14 percent). Eventhouhg, huge amount of sudium consumed in dinner which is about (43 percent). However (29 percent) in lunch. Saturated fat used in meal specially in dinner is high in percentage which is about 37 percent. Snak and lunch remain (21 percent to 26 percent), and breack fact saturated fat intake is lesser then other meals taken through whole day meals. When we saw about added sugar there is large amount taken in snack (42 percent), in dinner (23 percent), and slightlly small amout of added sugar in breakfast and lunch (16 percent and 19 percent), respectively.

By comparing each sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar amount taken in breakfast is same (12 percent), when we talk about sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar at breakfast, it is a little bit higher just (2 percent) which is 16 percent. Sodium and saturated fat are consumed in large amount amount 43 percent 37 percent respectlly whole days meals but when we see the pie chart of added sugar, snack is larger amount taken added sugar in whole days meals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the prompt by reporting figures for sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars across the four meal categories. However, the information is presented in a somewhat disjointed manner, and key features are not clearly highlighted or consistently contrasted. For instance, the student writes, "Sodium consumed in breakfast and snack is (14 percent)," and later includes conflicting claims about the breakfast figures ("By comparing each sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar amount taken in breakfast is same (12 percent)"). While an overview is attempted, the lack of clarity and mechanical listing of data mean the task is only partially addressed. To improve, you should carefully verify your data against the charts and structure your response to highlight the most significant trends clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The text demonstrates some organisation by grouping information by nutrients and meals, but there is no clear overall progression. The essay relies heavily on repetitive sentence openings and basic referencing. Cohesive devices are sometimes inaccurate or awkward, such as starting sentences with "When we saw about added sugar" or "By comparing each sodium...". Paragraphing is underdeveloped, with the bulk of the analysis lumped into a single dense block of text, making the flow difficult to follow. To achieve a higher band, you need to use cohesive devices more naturally, avoid repetitive transitional phrases, and organise your writing into logical paragraphs with a clear introduction, body, and overview.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task. There are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, such as "Eventhouhg" for although, "sudium" for sodium, "breack fact" for breakfast, "Snak" for snack, and "respectlly" for respectively. These errors occasionally cause confusion for the reader. While the student attempts some topic-specific vocabulary related to the charts, the lack of control over word forms and spelling restricts the score. To improve, expand your vocabulary for describing data and pay closer attention to spelling and accurate word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response shows a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple statements with frequent grammatical errors. There are frequent issues with missing auxiliary verbs, incorrect prepositions, and faulty clause structures, such as in the sentence "Saturated fat used in meal specially in dinner is high in percentage which is about 37 percent." Punctuation is also weak, and attempts at complex or comparative structures often result in ungrammatical formulations. Frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader. To progress, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring subject-verb agreement, and correctly using relative clauses and prepositions.

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.