Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-11
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 provided pie charts illustrate the average percentage of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA.
Overall, it is clear that sodium had largest share in dinner, saturated fats also had greatest percentage in dinner, while in added sugar snacks was at the peak.
Looking at the details, sodium pie chart demonstrates that snack and breakfast consumed the equal share of sodium 14%. During lunch amount of sodium nutrient was 29%, whereas dinner accounted the highest proportion of 43%. Additionally, saturated fats consumed in snack and lunch times were approximately near to each other 21% and 26% respectively.Use of saturated fats nutrients in breakfast was least in share and dinner had the largest figure of 37%.
In comparison, consumption of added sugar in snacks was dominated whereas dinner meal represented 23% of the total. Moreover, breakfast and lunch meals were slightly lower in share than others and stood at 16% and 195 respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the main pattern accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. Several figures are also reported correctly, including sodium at 14%, 29% and 43%, and saturated fat at 21%, 26% and 37%. However, the response is under the required 150 words, with 145 words counted after excluding copied prompt wording. This limits how fully the task is addressed. There is also a significant data error: added sugar for lunch is 19%, not “195”; breakfast is 16%. The overview could compare the three nutrients more clearly, and the added-sugar details are brief. Include the correct figures and develop the key contrasts to make the summary more complete.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and two detail sections. This helps the reader follow the broad comparison, and phrases such as “Overall” and “In comparison” signal shifts between points. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is uneven: the discussion moves from sodium to saturated fat and then added sugar without a consistently clear comparison framework. Some linking is mechanical, particularly repeated use of “Moreover” and “Additionally,” while the final sentence combines two figures without explaining their relationship. Organise the details by meal or nutrient in a more systematic sequence, and use referencing and transitions to show how each comparison connects to the overview.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “proportion,” “share,” “accounted” and “consumption,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited by repeated use of “share,” “percentage” and “meal,” and several combinations are unnatural or imprecise. For example, “sodium pie chart demonstrates” and “saturated fats consumed in snack and lunch times” do not express the data naturally; the charts show percentages, rather than meals consuming nutrients. “Added sugar in snacks was dominated” is also an awkward construction. Choose precise reporting language and natural collocations, such as “accounted for,” “the proportion of” and “was highest in.” Check numerical notation as well: “195” should be “19%.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “whereas” and an overview clause beginning “while.” The main comparisons can usually be understood, but errors in sentence construction and punctuation recur. For example, “sodium had largest share” needs an article, and “dinner accounted the highest proportion” is missing the required preposition. The sentence beginning “Additionally” runs directly into the next sentence without a space or clear punctuation. In “breakfast and lunch meals were slightly lower in share than others and stood at…,” the comparison is grammatically unclear. Practise accurate article use, verb patterns such as “accounted for,” and punctuation between sentences; then vary sentence structures while keeping each comparison clear.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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