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 chart compares the average consumption percentage of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in meals generally eaten in the USA.
Overall, it is seen that sodium and saturated fat is consumed in an unhealthy amount having dinner. Whereas, largest portion of added sugar is seen to be taken during snacktime.
During snacks and breakfast, sodium is consumed the least amounting to 14%. Although, It is taken moderately during lunch amounting to 29%. But during dinner it takes upto 43% of the diet making it unhealthy. Saturated fat is consumed the least during breakfast amounting to 16%. Although it is consumed the most during dinner proportioning to 37%.
Over consumption of added sugar is done during snacking of 42%. 23% added sugar is used in dinner and 19% in lunch. In contrast, Amount of added sugar lessenes during breakfast to 16%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response sits below the minimum length requirement, containing only 133 words (8 words copied from the prompt were excluded), falling 17 words short of the 150-word minimum. Because of this, the task is addressed only partially. While the writer manages to report some main features and make basic comparisons—such as noting that dinner has the highest percentages of sodium (43%) and saturated fat (37%), and snacks account for the highest percentage of added sugar (42%)—the lack of sufficient overall development and the failure to meet the word count hold the score back. To improve, you must ensure you write at least 150 words and extend your discussion of the data by providing a more thorough overview and complete comparisons across all meal categories.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is some basic organization present, with an introductory sentence, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs discussing the nutrients. However, there is no clear overall progression across the text, and the paragraphing and layout are somewhat choppy. Cohesive devices are minimal, repetitive, or slightly inaccurate, as seen in transitions like 'Although, It is taken' and 'But during dinner'. Pronoun referencing and linking between sentences are occasionally clumsy, which disrupts the logical flow. To achieve a higher band, you need to use a wider range of cohesive devices more accurately and ensure your ideas are linked smoothly from sentence to sentence with a clear, logical structure throughout.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task, relying heavily on simple terms and repeating words like 'consumed', 'amounting', and 'percentage'. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'proportioning to 37%' instead of 'accounting for 37%' or 'at 37%', and 'snacking' instead of 'snacks'. These errors reflect a restricted range of vocabulary and a weak control of collocations. To improve, you should incorporate a wider variety of vocabulary related to data trends and statistics, and pay closer attention to natural word partnerships and prepositions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response displays a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences combined with faulty attempts at complex forms. There are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors that cause some difficulty for the reader, such as sentence fragments and punctuation slips ('Although, It is taken...'), incorrect preposition use ('taken during snacktime', 'done during snacking of 42%'), and issues with subject-verb agreement ('sodium and saturated fat is consumed'). To move up to a higher band, you must increase your range of grammatical structures by incorporating accurate complex sentences and reducing basic grammatical slips.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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