Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The pie charts illustrate contribution of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in a standard diet consumed usually in USA.
Overall, dinner meals contain the highest proportions of sodium and saturated fats , while lunch contributes the largest share of added sugars. Breakfast generally has the lowest levels of sodium and saturated fats, whereas saturated fats is lowest in snacks.
Looking at sodium first, dinner meals account for 43 percent points among the three meals. Lunch contibutes 29 percent, almost half that of dinner. Breakfast and snacks were almost the same about 14 percent points.
On the other hand , saturated fats were mainly present in supper meals making the highest share. While, lunch and snacks represent 26 and 21 percent points,respectively. As usual, breakfast had the lowest percent among all.
Lastly, added sugars had the highest porpotion in lunch with 42 percent. Dinner had 23 percent share. Although, breakfast and snacks showed the lowest percent of 16 and 19 percent respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response makes an attempt to address the task by reporting key data from the charts, such as noting that dinner contains the highest proportion of sodium and saturated fats. However, the report contains several factual inaccuracies regarding the data. For instance, the student states that lunch contributes the largest share of added sugars, whereas the chart shows snacks as the highest at 42 percent, with lunch at 19 percent. Additionally, there are mix-ups in data attribution, such as claiming added sugars had a proportion of 42 percent in lunch. Furthermore, while an overview is attempted, key features are not consistently or accurately highlighted, resulting in a partial coverage of the task requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure, moving logically from an introduction to an overview and then body paragraphs addressing each nutrient in turn. Cohesive devices such as 'Looking at sodium first', 'On the other hand', and 'Lastly' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, referencing and progression are sometimes mechanical or slightly faulty, as seen in the slightly confused grouping of data points and transitions between meals. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different categories of nutrients.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with an attempt to use less common items and paraphrasing such as 'standard diet consumed usually in USA' and 'highest proportions'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'supper meals' instead of dinner, 'percent points' instead of percentages, and spelling/word-choice slips like 'contibutes' and 'porpotion'. These inaccuracies and limited range reflect a basic control of vocabulary that occasionally causes minor confusion for the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writing exhibits a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, such as 'Although, breakfast and snacks showed the lowest percent...'. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including misuse of commas, awkward phrasing, and prepositional or agreement errors (e.g., 'saturated fats is lowest in snacks' where the subject-verb agreement is faulty). Attempts at complex structures are often flawed, and grammatical inaccuracies persist throughout the text, though they rarely impede overall communication entirely.
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