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)

The pie chart compares the typical meals consumed by Americans in terms of average percentage of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars.

Overall, People in the USA mostly consumed sodium and saturated fat in dinner and added sugar had with snacks. These all are type of nutrients which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.

In the breakfast, the nutrients like sodium, saturated fat and added sugar consumed nearly same at 16%. Whereas snacks with highly added sugar consumed by people in USA which is numbered at 42%. While, this meal had sodium and saturated fat accounted 14% and 21% respectively. Moreover, the sodium and saturated fat consumed with little difference during the lunch meal. And comparetively less added sugar eaten with this meal.

Furthermore, The ingrediants which contains sweet taste eaten only 23% in dinner meal. But this meal have more sodium and saturated fat which eaten by the Americans.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and give a broad overview: sodium and saturated fat peak at dinner, while added sugar is highest in snacks. Several figures are also reported accurately, including snack sodium (14%), snack saturated fat (21%), and dinner added sugar (23%). However, the breakfast statement that all three nutrients are “nearly same at 16%” is inaccurate: sodium is 14%, while the other two are 16%. The lunch comparison is vague, and the dinner figures for sodium and saturated fat are not stated. The response is also 7 words below the 150-word minimum, which limits how fully the key comparisons are developed. Include the missing values and make the overview more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing meal-specific details. This helps the reader follow the general direction of the report. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is uneven: breakfast, snacks, and lunch are combined in one paragraph, while dinner is left to a very short final paragraph. Linking words such as “Whereas,” “Moreover,” and “Furthermore” are used, but some connections feel mechanical or do not clearly show the relationship between the data. For example, “And comparetively less added sugar eaten with this meal” does not clearly connect to the preceding lunch comparison. Group the information more systematically and use clear comparisons to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “average percentage,” “sodium,” “saturated fat,” and “added sugar,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which makes some statements awkward. “Added sugar had with snacks” and “sodium and saturated fat consumed with little difference” do not express the intended comparisons naturally. There are also spelling errors, such as “comparetively” and “ingred iants” (written as “ingred iants” in the response), and “ingredients” is not an appropriate term for nutrients in this context. Use precise reporting language such as “accounted for,” “was highest in,” and “the proportions were similar,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including a complex comparison beginning “Whereas,” and use present-tense reporting language. However, errors are frequent, and some sentences are difficult to interpret. For example, “Overall, People in the USA mostly consumed sodium and saturated fat in dinner” has an awkward sentence structure, while “These all are type of nutrients” has problems with agreement and articles. In “this meal had sodium and saturated fat accounted 14% and 21%,” the verb pattern is not grammatical; write, for example, “sodium and saturated fat accounted for 14% and 21%.” Focus on complete clauses, subject–verb agreement, articles, and correct verb patterns. More accurate simple sentences would improve clarity before you add complex structures.

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