Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-07
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 5.0)
The pie charts illustrate the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, which are detrimental to health if consumed in excess.
Overall, there are three nutrients, namely sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars in daily meals consumed in USA.
Dinner is the highest percentage in sodium and saturated fat, whereas snack constituted majorly in added sugar. Breakfast is the lowest in all nutrients compared to other meals time. Lunch contributed moderately in every meal reported highest in sodium.
Snack in sodium was 14% and in saturated fat 21%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response identifies the three nutrients and gives a broad overview: dinner is highest for sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. These are relevant main features, but the report is very incomplete. It does not give the key figures for dinner or added sugar, and the claim that breakfast is lowest for all nutrients is inaccurate: breakfast and snacks are tied at 14% for sodium. The sentence about lunch is unclear and does not report its values. The final sentence adds two figures but leaves the comparison unfinished. The response is also below the 150-word minimum, with 80 words submitted (11 prompt words excluded). Include a fuller selection of accurate comparisons and supporting data to address the task more completely.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
There is a basic structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then a short detail paragraph, and the contrast signalled by “whereas” helps connect two main features. However, the progression is limited because the body contains only one brief, disconnected sentence about snack figures, while the other comparisons are not developed. “Lunch contributed moderately in every meal reported highest in sodium” is difficult to follow and does not clearly connect the ideas. The final line also feels detached from the preceding overview. Organise the details into a clearer comparison of meal categories or nutrients, and use linking and referencing to show how each figure relates to the overall pattern.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The response uses some appropriate topic vocabulary, including “sodium,” “saturated fat,” “added sugars,” and “percentages,” and “detrimental to health if consumed in excess” shows an attempt at more formal phrasing. However, several expressions are imprecise or awkward for describing chart data. “Snack constituted majorly in added sugar” is not a natural way to say that snacks account for the largest share, and “meal time” is less suitable than “meal” or “meal category.” “Contributed moderately” is also vague when exact proportions are available. Use precise reporting language such as “accounted for,” “represented,” and “the largest proportion,” alongside the relevant figures, to make comparisons clearer and more natural.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a range of sentence forms, including a relative clause in the opening sentence and a contrast structure with “whereas.” Most of the short sentences remain understandable, but grammatical control is uneven. “Dinner is the highest percentage” uses an unsuitable sentence pattern for comparing proportions; a clearer construction would be “Dinner accounts for the highest percentage.” In “Breakfast is the lowest in all nutrients compared to other meals time,” the comparison is awkwardly formed, and “Lunch contributed moderately in every meal reported highest in sodium” lacks a clear grammatical connection between its ideas. Build accurate comparison structures and check that each sentence has a clear subject and verb relationship. More complete sentences would also allow you to demonstrate a wider range reliably.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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