Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-10
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 given three pie charts illustrates the average proportion of sodium, saturated fats and added sugar.
The ratio of sodium in breakfast is 14% whereas the ratio of saturated fat is 14% meanwhile the ratio of added sugar is 16%.The next category is lunch, the proportion of sodium in lunch is 29%, whereas the ratio of saturated fat is 26% meanwhile the ratio of added sugar is 19%.
The third category is dinner, the ratio of sodium in dinner is 43% whereas the ratio of saturated fat in dinner is 37% whereas the proportion of added sugar is 23.The last category is snacks, the ratio of sodium in snacks is 14% whereas the proportion of saturated fat is 21% on the other hand, the percentile of added sugar in snacks is 42% which is the highest of all.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
You report most of the chart figures accurately, including dinner’s high sodium and saturated-fat shares and the 42% added-sugar figure for snacks. However, the breakfast comparison contains a factual error: saturated fat is 16%, not 14%. More importantly, the response mainly lists figures by meal and gives no clear overall summary of the main patterns, such as dinner leading in sodium and saturated fat while snacks lead in added sugar. The task is also under the required 150 words, which limits the detail and development of the report. Add a concise overview and explain the most important contrasts rather than relying almost entirely on a sequence of numbers.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The information follows a recognisable order, moving from breakfast to lunch, dinner and snacks, so readers can locate the figures. However, the response is presented as one continuous block and has no separate overview, which makes the report feel like a list rather than a developed summary. Linking is also repetitive: “whereas” and “meanwhile” recur in nearly every comparison, and the transition from one meal to the next is mechanical. Grouping the information into an introduction, an overview and one or two comparison paragraphs would create clearer progression. Use linking expressions selectively and organise around the main patterns, not just the chart’s categories.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is sufficient to identify the nutrients and report percentages, and terms such as “proportion” and “highest” are relevant. However, the range is limited by repeated use of “ratio” and “whereas,” and some choices are not natural for describing chart data. For example, “ratio of sodium in breakfast” is better expressed as “proportion of sodium consumed at breakfast,” while “percentile” is not the correct term for a percentage share. “Snacks” is understandable, but “snack foods” or “snacks” should be used consistently with the chart label. Varying accurate reporting verbs and comparison phrases would make the description more precise and less repetitive.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response uses several complete comparison sentences, and the repeated structure generally allows the figures to be understood. However, sentence patterns are very similar throughout, so there is little grammatical variety. There are also noticeable errors: “The given three pie charts illustrates” has subject–verb disagreement, and “23.The” needs a space after the full stop. The sentence beginning “The ratio of sodium in breakfast…” also contains a run-on sequence of comparisons joined without clear punctuation. Practise accurate plural agreement and use a mix of shorter sentences and well-controlled clauses. Separating comparisons with full stops or semicolons would improve readability and control.
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