Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-06
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 illustrates the average proportion in typical meals of three nutrients (Sodium, Saturated fat, Added sugar) in the USA, from all of them which may be dangerous to health if consumed too much.
Overall, the proportion of saturated fat is relatively balanced in all areas. While sodium and added sugar is relatively high in dinner and snack respectively.
The highest amount of sodium is found in dinner which is 43% followed by saturated fat 37% and added sugar in snacks which is 42%. While on the second position sodium in lunch is 29% followed by staurated fat 26% and added sugar in dinner which is 23%.
The lowest amount of sodium, Saturated fat and added sugar is found in breakfast which is 14%, 16% and 16% respectively. While in other portion like snack and lunch they are in between highest and lowest i sodium and saturated fat. However trend changes in Added sugar.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| 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 the main features of the three charts covering sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar across four meal categories. An overview is attempted, noting that saturated fat is relatively balanced while sodium and added sugar peak at dinner and snack times respectively. However, some aspects of the task are developed more fully than others, and the reporting of data contains some confusion and clumping. For instance, grouping the highest amounts together across different nutrients ("The highest amount of sodium is found in dinner which is 43% followed by saturated fat 37% and added sugar in snacks which is 42%") makes the comparisons somewhat difficult to follow, rather than systematically comparing each nutrient or meal type. To reach a higher band, the response would need to select and group data more logically, ensuring clear, distinct comparisons without mixing different variables in a single comparative chain.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text presents a coherent overall arrangement and attempts to organize information from an introduction into an overview and body paragraphs. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, and referencing is not always clear. For example, the transitional phrase "While on the second position" is unnatural, and the sentence "While in other portion like snack and lunch they are in between highest and lowest i sodium and saturated fat" lacks clear referencing and leaves the reader to guess the exact numerical relationships. Paragraphing is present, but the internal logical progression of the body paragraphs feels somewhat disjointed because data points are juxtaposed abruptly. To improve, you should use smoother cohesive devices, ensure precise referencing pronouns or demonstratives, and group related data points into dedicated, cohesive sentences that guide the reader clearly through the visual information.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic statistical information such as percentages, proportions, and meal times. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary and phraseology, such as "relatively balanced", "in between highest and lowest", and "trend changes". However, there are notable inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as "from all of them which may be dangerous to health if consumed too much" (awkward phrasing) and "staurated fat" (spelling error). Furthermore, phrases like "on the second position" demonstrate unnatural collocation. Some word choices are repetitive or imprecise. To achieve a higher band, you need to expand your range of vocabulary to describe trends and proportions more precisely, pay closer attention to natural collocations when discussing rankings or positions, and eliminate spelling and word-form errors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures such as subordinate clauses beginning with "While". There are some grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ("sodium and added sugar is relatively high", where a plural verb is needed) and prepositional errors ("in sodium and saturated fat" instead of "for"). Additionally, some sentences are structurally incomplete or tangled, such as starting clauses with "While" without attaching them to a main independent clause effectively. These errors rarely impede communication, but they persist frequently enough to restrict the writing to this band. To improve, you should focus on ensuring correct subject-verb agreement, mastering complex sentence structures without fragmenting them, and carefully checking articles and prepositions within grammatical patterns.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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