Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-04
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 give information of three certain ingredients in daily life food intake. like snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Overall, dinner accounts for the largest proportion of sodium and saturated fat. While, snacks contribute the highest share of added sugar. In contrast, breakfast represents the smallest proportion across all three.
Sodium used highest in dinner it about 43%, further lunch hold nearly 30% contribution. and snack and breakfast used similar amount of sodium and it is only 14% individuals.
saturated fat is also used highest, at about 37% for dinner and 26% for lunch. additionally breakfast used less than 10% of lunch. and least one contribute 21%.
added sugar is one one how hold highest in snack at about 42% than dinner and lunch at 23%, 19% respectively. lowest used of added sugar in breakfast nearly 15%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the task partially by identifying some main features, such as dinner accounting for the largest proportion of sodium and saturated fat, and snacks having the highest share of added sugar. However, the data points are not always accurate or clearly reported; for instance, the text claims that breakfast and snacks account for 14% of sodium 'individuals' and misreads the breakfast figure for added sugar as 'nearly 15%' when the chart shows 16%. Furthermore, key comparisons are missing or underdeveloped, and comparisons across the charts lack sufficient precision. In addition, the length requirement has not been met, as the response falls short of the 150-word minimum by 12 words, which limits the overall scope and development of the report.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response attempts some organisation with a logical division into an introduction and body paragraphs, providing a basic overview in the second sentence. However, there is no clear overall progression across the text, and the cohesive devices used are inadequate, repetitive, or mechanically applied, such as the repetitive use of 'highest', 'lunch', and 'dinner' to link clauses. Paragraphing is also somewhat confused, with body sentences run together awkwardly. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to follow the precise flow of comparisons between the three charts. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to employ a wider and more accurate variety of cohesive devices to seamlessly guide the reader through the data.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task, with noticeable errors that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. The writer relies heavily on basic terms and repeats words like 'highest', 'proportion', and 'used' frequently throughout the text. There are also notable lexical and word-form errors, such as 'daily life food intake' instead of 'daily food intake', 'Sodium used highest' instead of 'Sodium usage is highest', and 'least one contribute' instead of 'the lowest contribution'. Attempted less common vocabulary is handled with inaccuracy, and while communication is not entirely blocked, the restricted range and persistent errors keep the lexical score at a modest level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The response demonstrates a very limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with frequent attempts at complex or comparative forms that are frequently faulty. There are persistent grammatical errors, including missing verbs, incorrect prepositions, and poor sentence boundaries, such as 'While, snacks contribute the highest share' and 'further lunch hold nearly 30% contribution.' Punctuation is also problematic, with misplaced full stops and commas breaking sentences unnaturally (e.g., 'contribution. and snack and breakfast used...'). These frequent errors and the lack of complex sentence control cause noticeable difficulty for the reader and reflect a weak grasp of fundamental grammatical patterns.
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