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 pictorial diagrams depicts the average proportion in percentages of theree different nutrients in typical meals which may be unhealthy if it is taken too much. Overall, Sodium and saturated fat had highest proporting in dinner, meanwhile snacks had highest added sugar.Conversly, breakfast had less proportion in saturated fat and added sugar, but sidum similar propotion of snacks and breackfast.

Initially, in the breackfast all the three nutrients, such as sodium, saturated fat and added sugar had siliar proportion of percentage, by 14% yet the least proportion among all meals. However, dinner had approximately 43% sodium, still it has highest proportion among all the meals. Meanwhile, in snacks the added sugar had the major propotion by 42%.

Subsequently, where in lunch, sodium is 29%, saturated fat is less 3% than sodium and added sugar had almost less 10% comapired to sodium. Ultimately, saturated fat had more than 20% in snack, while sodium is just 14%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern that sodium and saturated fat peak at dinner, while added sugar is highest in snacks, and you include several relevant figures, such as 43% sodium at dinner and 42% added sugar in snacks. However, some comparisons are inaccurate or unclear. Breakfast is not the lowest meal for all three nutrients: sodium is 14% there, but saturated fat and added sugar are both 16%, and their lowest values occur at breakfast. The statement that all three are 14% is incorrect. You also omit the dinner figures for saturated fat and added sugar, which would strengthen the overview, and the lunch comparisons are not fully specified. Select the key highs and lows accurately, then support them with clear comparisons across meals.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an opening overview followed by paragraphs describing breakfast, dinner, snacks and lunch. This gives the reader a general route through the information. However, the progression is not consistently logical: the second paragraph moves from breakfast to dinner and then snacks, while the final paragraph returns to lunch and snacks. Connectors such as “Initially,” “Subsequently” and “Ultimately” sometimes suggest a sequence that the chart does not have, and “Meanwhile” does not clearly show the relationship between the points it joins. Grouping the information by the most important comparisons—for example, meal peaks first, then lower values—would make the organisation easier to follow. Use referencing and linking words to clarify comparisons rather than simply mark transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt task-appropriate vocabulary, including “average proportion,” “highest proportion” and “approximately,” and you use nutrient names that help identify the data. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, form and spelling errors make parts difficult to understand: “proporting,” “siliar,” “comapired” and “sidum” appear to be attempts at “proportion,” “similar,” “compared” and “sodium.” Phrases such as “had the major proportion by 42%” and “less 3% than sodium” are also unnatural or imprecise. Build a reliable set of chart-description expressions and check spelling carefully. Prefer precise comparisons such as “was 3 percentage points lower” and “accounted for the largest share.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “However” and a comparison introduced by “while.” Some sentences communicate the intended meaning, but grammatical errors recur and occasionally make relationships unclear. For example, “The pictorial diagrams depicts” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “which may be unhealthy if it is taken too much” has an unclear pronoun reference and an awkward conditional structure. The sentence beginning “Subsequently, where in lunch” is also not formed as a clear comparison. Work on agreement, articles and complete clause structure, and make sure each sentence has a clear subject and verb. Shorter, accurate sentences would help you express the chart comparisons more reliably.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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