Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)
The pie charts depicts the proportions of sodium, saturated fat and added sugars in regular meals in the United states.
A large proportion of people like to eat high amount of sodium in the dinner, spicy meals are prioritized in dinner, also added sugar is highly consumed in the snacks, In addition, saturated fats is conisdered as second highest consumed nutrient for dinner in the USA.
Snacks and breakfast consists same amount of sodium estimating 14 percent, The amount of consumed saturated fats and sodium have a slight difference but is consumed equally enough in the lunch time.
The amount of consumed saturated fats and processed sugar is equal for morning meals resulting total 16 percent of consumption.On the other hand, snacks like biscuits and processed foods are highly preferred in the afternoon snack.
Sodium is likely to be less used in the early half of the day while the consumption increases after the noon, Snacks are prioritized for the lunch and dinner menus.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
The response attempts to address the prompt by discussing the charts showing nutrient percentages in the USA. However, it only partially covers the data, presenting a limited selection of features with some inaccurate reporting. For instance, the statement that 'snacks like biscuits and processed foods are highly preferred in the afternoon snack' relies on outside knowledge rather than the provided data, and some figures are misinterpreted or generalized vaguely, such as 'Snacks are prioritized for the lunch and dinner menus.' The response lacks a clear, cohesive overall summary of the main trends across all three nutrients, keeping it at a minimal level of task fulfilment.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
The organisation of the response shows basic paragraphing, but there is no clear overall progression of ideas. Information is presented in a somewhat disjointed manner, jumping between different meals and nutrients without a logical flow. Cohesive devices are either missing, inadequate, or repetitive, making it difficult for the reader to follow a clear line of argument. For example, sentences are often loosely connected with commas rather than appropriate conjunctions or transitional phrases, such as 'Snacks and breakfast consists same amount of sodium estimating 14 percent, The amount of consumed saturated fats...' which disrupts the reading flow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, though it is minimally adequate to convey basic ideas about food and percentages. There are notable word choice and form errors that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, such as 'conisdered', 'consists same amount', and 'processed sugar' instead of added sugars. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary related to the topic, but inaccuracies in collocation and spelling prevent the response from achieving a higher level of lexical control. Simple terms are repeated frequently throughout the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The grammatical range is limited, relying mostly on simple sentences and basic structures. Attempts at more complex sentences are often faulty, featuring frequent errors in subject-verb agreement, prepositions, and punctuation. For example, 'The pie charts depicts' demonstrates a basic agreement error, and comma splices are frequent, such as 'estimating 14 percent, The amount...' Furthermore, prepositions within grammatical patterns are mishandled, as seen in 'high amount of sodium in the dinner' instead of 'at dinner'. These frequent errors require the reader to re-read parts of the text to grasp the intended meaning.
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