Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-05
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 given charts illustrate the information regarding average percentage in typical meals of three types of nutrients which are sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in the USA
First of all, the average percentage of sodium in typical meals consumed in USA in which larger portion of sodium founds in dinner which is 43% and also average percentage of sodium in lunch is ranked second at 29% and average percentage of sodium in both snack and breakfast have equal amount of portion which is 14% each.
Secondaly, the average percentage of saturated fat in meals in which larger portion of its found in dinner which is 37% and it is quite less than that of sodium also saturated fat founds in luch also less than that of sodium and saturated fat founds in snack and breakfast are as following 21% and 16% respectively.
Furthermore, the average percentage of added suger in typical meals the numbers are quite surprising that snack has highest portion among all at 42% and average percentage of added suger in dinner, lunch, breakfast as following 23%, 19%, 16% respectively.
In conclusion, from three nutrients two which are sodium and saturated fat which greater amount founds in dinner and for added sugar snack was leading.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting data for all three nutrients across the four meal times. However, the development of ideas is uneven. While the main features are touched upon—such as identifying that dinner accounts for the highest percentages of sodium and saturated fat, and snacks for added sugar—some information is presented repetitively and lacks clear synthesis or comparison. For instance, the descriptions rely heavily on listing individual percentages without fully integrating them into a cohesive overview. Eight words copied directly from the prompt were excluded from the official word count, though the response successfully met the minimum length requirement overall.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The text displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the response into logical paragraphs for each nutrient, introduced by transitional phrases like "First of all", "Secondaly", and "Furthermore". However, cohesion is frequently mechanical and repetitive, relying heavily on formulas like "the average percentage of [nutrient] in typical meals...". Paragraphing is present, but referencing and logical progression within sentences are occasionally clumsy, which prevents the report from flowing smoothly and achieving a higher level of organization.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The lexical range is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic data regarding percentages and meal types. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as "suger" instead of sugar, "luch" instead of lunch, and awkward phrasing like "founds" instead of found. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, but inaccuracies in word form and collocation occasionally surface. These lexical limitations and spelling slips mean the vocabulary control remains at a more basic level, preventing a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though complex structures are often clumsy or run-on, such as the lengthy second sentence in the paragraph on sodium. There are frequent grammatical errors involving subject-verb agreement, missing prepositions, and awkward clause structures, such as "larger portion of sodium founds in dinner" and "added suger in dinner, lunch, breakfast as following". While these errors rarely impede overall communication of the data, their persistent presence across basic and complex patterns keeps the grammatical control at this level.
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