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 pie chart ullustrates the consumption of three different kind of nutrients( sodium,saturated fat,added sugar) in meals in USA.

Overall, Sodium is being used 43% in dinner which likely to be on top of the list as compared to saturated fat in dinner with 37% and sugar with 23%. On the other we can see the usage of sugar in snacks are more than other meals with high percentage of 42% which is very unhealthy,while saturated fat is using less then sugar with 21% and sodium with 14% which is very low in between them. Nutrients in breakfast are almost with same percentage like sugar and saturated fat has 16% of use while sodium with 14%. in term of lunch sodium and saturated fat is almost with close ratio of percentage 29% and 26% but sugar is being used only 19% in lunch. so we can examine all of three nutrients in different meals and it is clear that in dinner every nutrient has high ratio of use rather than suggar in snack.

AI examiner evaluation

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, and an overview is provided. However, some aspects are under-developed or imprecise. For example, the student notes that sodium is highest in dinner at 43% and correctly identifies the peak for added sugar in snacks at 42%. Yet, the reporting of some figures becomes a slightly mechanical listing of percentages rather than a fully integrated comparison. The selection of main features is present, but the analysis lacks a consistent overview of the relative dominance of certain meals, leading to a response that covers the requirements only partially in terms of depth and clarity.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some basic organisation in the response, beginning with an introductory statement and attempting an overall summary followed by body details. However, there is no clear overall progression; the writing lacks distinct paragraphing and is presented as a single block of text. Cohesive devices are repetitive and sometimes mechanical, relying heavily on phrases like 'On the other we can see', 'while', and 'in term of lunch'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the transition into the discussion of breakfast and lunch, which disrupts the logical flow of ideas and makes the progression difficult to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate to communicate the basic points of the task, but the range is limited. The student attempts some less common vocabulary and task-specific terms such as 'consumption', 'nutrients', and 'percentage', but there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'different kind of nutrients' instead of 'kinds', 'ullustrates' (spelling), and 'high ratio of use'. Furthermore, expressions like 'on top of the list' and 'very low in between them' show an over-reliance on informal or imprecise collocations that cause some minor strain for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying primarily on simple and coordinate sentences, with attempts at complex forms that are often faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('in USA'), incorrect prepositions ('in snacks', 'in term of lunch'), and problems with verb forms and voice ('saturated fat is using less then sugar'). Punctuation is also weak, marked by run-on sentences and a lack of proper capitalization and spacing after periods. While communication is not entirely obscured, these frequent errors cause noticeable difficulty and detract from the overall clarity.

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