Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-09

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)

chart shows three different types of neutrients carries in different food items in USA. the charts represents average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and sugar in typical meals in USA.

firstly, we talk about sodium so snacks carries 14% of sodium, breakfast carries the same amount percentage of the snacks, 29% of the sodium is in the launch and the remaning 43% is in the dinner.

secondly , most of the saturated fats is carried out by the dinner which is 37%, 26% is in lauch and the remaining is carried by the snack and breakfast 21% and 16%.

thirdly, snacks have alot amount of sugar which is 42%, after snacks dinner carries 23% of sugar and breakfast and launch carries 16% and 19% of the sugar.

so most of the of sodium and saturated fat is in the dinner in USA and alot sugar is in the snacks according to the charts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You report the main pattern accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks account for the most added sugar. Most figures are also correct, including sodium at 14%, 29% and 43%, and added sugar at 42% for snacks. However, the saturated-fat figures are not fully accurate: you give breakfast as 16% and snacks as 21%, whereas the chart shows breakfast at 16% and snacks at 21%—these are correct, but the sentence’s ordering is unclear. The overview is present in the final sentence, though it largely repeats the details rather than drawing out the contrast that added sugar peaks at snacks while the other nutrients peak at dinner. A clearer overview and more precise comparisons would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving through sodium, saturated fat and added sugar before giving a concluding summary. The sequence is easy to follow, and markers such as “firstly,” “secondly” and “thirdly” help signal each section. However, this organisation is somewhat mechanical, and the paragraphs mostly list figures rather than building comparisons across the three nutrients. Some connections are also unclear, particularly “the remaining is carried by the snack and breakfast 21% and 16%,” where the reader must infer which figure belongs to which meal. Use clearer sentence links and group related comparisons—for example, contrast dinner’s high sodium and fat shares with snacks’ high sugar share—to create stronger progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “sodium,” “saturated fats,” “average percentages” and “typical meals,” so the subject is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “neutrients carries,” “snacks carries” and “most of the … sugar.” Repeated use of “carried” also makes the description sound unnatural; charts show or account for proportions rather than carrying nutrients. Spelling errors such as “remaning” and “alot” further reduce accuracy. Aim for precise reporting verbs and meal-related terms, and check spelling carefully. These improvements would make the data description clearer and more appropriate to an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You communicate the basic comparisons using mostly simple sentence patterns, and the reader can usually understand the intended meaning. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and the response relies heavily on repetitive structures. For example, “the charts represents” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “breakfast and launch carries” also uses a singular verb with a plural subject. The opening fragment, “chart shows…,” needs an article, and several sentences join multiple pieces of information with commas rather than clear sentence boundaries. Try combining accurate simple sentences with controlled comparative structures, such as “Dinner accounts for a larger share of sodium than breakfast or snacks.” Careful editing for agreement, articles and punctuation would improve clarity.

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