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)

These pie charts illustrate the average proportion of typical meals of three different type of nutrients, all of which may be not good for health if eaten excessively.

Overall, Sodium and Saturated fat are mostly consumed in dinner but Added sugar is highly used in snack .

In Usa, Sodium and Saturated fats are heavily consumed in dinner 43% and 37% repectevely.

While Sodium only used as snack for 14% whereas Saturated fat's intake in snack is bigger than that (21%). Sodium and Saturated fat are almost ate up at same level in breakfast. In lunch their intake in usually higher then previous two points like 29% for Sodium and 26% for Saturated fat.

In contrast with Added sugar, Added sugar peak at 42% in lunch catagory whereas poople in America usually takes around 16% of Sugar in breakfast. In lunch, they marginally increase the dosage of Added sugar and takes it to 19%. At the end , 23% of sugar is eaten by people in Usa in dinner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrast: sodium and saturated fat peak at dinner, while added sugar is highest in snacks. Several figures are reported accurately, including dinner at 43% for sodium and 37% for saturated fat, and the snack figure of 21% for saturated fat. However, the added-sugar peak is incorrectly assigned to lunch: it is 42% in snacks, not lunch. The breakfast and lunch comparisons for sodium and saturated fat are useful, but the overview could more clearly summarise the full pattern across all three nutrients. Also, the opening description is imprecise about what the percentages represent. A more accurate overview and careful checking of the key figures would make the report more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about sodium and saturated fat, then added sugar. This gives the reader a coherent overall arrangement. The contrast marker “In contrast” helps signal the shift to the third nutrient, and figures are generally grouped by meal or nutrient. However, some links are awkward or unclear, such as “same level in breakfast” and “previous two points,” which makes the comparisons harder to follow. The added-sugar paragraph also repeats “In lunch” and does not clearly distinguish the snack peak from the other meals. Use clearer topic sentences and organise the comparisons consistently—for example, report each nutrient’s meal pattern in order—to improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “intake,” “peak,” and “dosage,” and the reader can generally understand the intended comparisons. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “highly used,” “ate up,” and “marginally increase the dosage.” “Consumed” or “accounted for” would suit the data better than language suggesting people deliberately use or eat up a nutrient. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “repectevely,” “catagory,” and “poople,” which reduce precision. Aim for a smaller set of accurate reporting verbs and collocations, and proofread spelling; this would make the vocabulary more reliable and appropriate for an academic chart summary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including the contrastive sentence beginning “While Sodium…” and the overview contrasting the three nutrients. Meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “three different type” needs plural agreement, and “Sodium and Saturated fat are almost ate up” has an incorrect verb construction. The sentence beginning “While” is also a fragment, while “Added sugar peak” and “people … takes” show subject–verb agreement problems. Punctuation and sentence boundaries are occasionally awkward, as in “At the end , 23%…”. Practise complete clauses, consistent subject–verb agreement, and accurate passive or active reporting structures. These changes would preserve your range while improving control.

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