Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-03
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 charts represent the average amount of nutrients in typical meals, all the nutrients which can do bad rather than good if consumed too much.
Overall, dinner contains the most sodium and saturated fats as compared to other meals while snacks provide the most added sugar in comparison to other meals .
As for breakfast, among the three nutrients, it contains the least amount of sodium which is 14 percent and it contains 16 percent of other two nutrients. As for lunch, unlike breakfast, the highest amount of nutrient present in lunch is sodium while lowest amount of nutrient present in lunch is added sugar.
For the third meal that is snacks, it contains the highest amount of added sugar as compared to both other meals and nutrients which is 42 percent while it provides lower amounts of sodium and saturated fats. For the last meal,
unlike snacks, dinner contains least added sugar in it and rather contains the most of sodium among the three nutrients which is 43 percentage
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars across the four meal times. An overview is provided that captures the general patterns, such as dinner containing the most sodium and saturated fats and snacks providing the most added sugar. However, some parts of the response are under-developed or less fully addressed than others. For instance, the descriptions of breakfast and lunch rely on vague phrasing regarding 'other nutrients' rather than precisely specifying each nutrient's percentage, and the final sentence contains a factual slip regarding dinner having the least added sugar when the chart actually shows dinner at twenty-three percent and breakfast at sixteen percent. To reach a higher band, the student should ensure all data points are accurately reported and fully extended with precise comparisons.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response maintains a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical structure by moving meal by meal through the data. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and repetitive, heavily relying on transitional phrases such as 'As for breakfast,' 'As for lunch,' and 'For the third meal.' Referencing is also occasionally unclear or imprecise, such as when referring to 'other two nutrients' without naming them clearly. Furthermore, paragraphing is not managed effectively; the entire body of the response is crammed into a single block of text rather than being broken down into logical paragraphs for an introduction, overview, and body details. To improve, the student needs to vary cohesive devices, avoid repetitive structures, and use clear paragraph breaks to guide the reader through the data.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The response demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common terms related to data reporting and health, such as 'nutrients,' 'saturated fats,' and 'proportions' or amounts. However, there are notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as writing 'can do bad rather than good if consumed too much' instead of 'can be harmful if consumed in excess.' There are also issues with word form and collocation throughout the text, such as 'lowest amount of nutrient present in lunch is added sugar' where precision is lacking. Spelling is generally acceptable, but the overall lexical control remains basic and repetitive. To achieve a higher band, the student should incorporate a wider variety of precise academic vocabulary and collocation specific to describing statistical data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at comparative structures like 'contains the most sodium and saturated fats as compared to other meals'. There are several grammatical errors in sentence structure, article usage, and prepositions, such as 'dinner contains least added sugar' (missing the article 'the') and 'percentage' instead of 'percent' at the end of the text. Punctuation is also weak, marked by stray spacing before punctuation marks and run-on phrasing. While these errors rarely impede communication and the basic meaning remains clear, the presence of frequent minor slips prevents the grammar from reaching a higher level of control. To improve, the student should focus on accurate article usage, subject-verb agreement, and polishing complex sentence structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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