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 graphs illustrates ratios in typical diets of three kinds of dietary components, all of which may be harmful if taken too much.

Overall, the highest ratio of sodium and saturated fat noted in dinner except added sugar where the highest proportion used in snack however lowest percentage of all three nutrients consumed in breakfast except sodium which consumed same in snack and breakfast in USA.

In details, the ratio of sodium used in dinner calculated 43% however it consumed in snack and breakfast remained same 14% so as compared to dinner it was almost three times lower and in lunch that proportion was 29%. In addition, the ratio of saturated fat utilized in dinner was 37% while in snack it noted 21% moreover in breakfast it noted 16% and in lunch it noted 26%. Furthermore, the percentage of added sugar in snack calculated 42% while it consumed in breakfast 16% and noted 19% in lunch however it used in dinner 23%. Furthermore, saturated fat and added sugar remained constant in breakfast.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks account for the most added sugar. Most figures are reported accurately, including sodium at 43% for dinner and 14% for breakfast and snacks, and added sugar at 42% for snacks. However, the overview is unclear and includes an inaccurate comparison: breakfast is not the lowest for all three nutrients, since snacks have the lowest saturated-fat share (21% is higher than breakfast’s 16%, so breakfast is lowest there; for added sugar, breakfast is also lowest at 16%). The statement that saturated fat and added sugar “remained constant” in breakfast is misleading: both are 16%, but they are different nutrients, not values over time. Make the overview more precise and compare the key highs and lows clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure, with an opening, an overview and a paragraph of figures, so the reader can recognise the intended report. However, progression is limited: the body moves from sodium to saturated fat to sugar, then adds a final comparison that does not clearly follow from the preceding information. Linking expressions such as “In addition,” “Furthermore” and “however” are repeated and sometimes do not show the relationship between ideas accurately. The overview is also a long, difficult-to-follow sentence, which weakens the organisation of the main features. Grouping the information more deliberately—for example, describing dinner and snack peaks first, then the lower meal shares—and using clearer sentence boundaries would make the report easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “sodium,” “saturated fat” and “added sugar,” and the reader can generally identify the data being discussed. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are unnatural, such as “ratios … in typical diets,” “used in dinner,” “utilized in dinner” and “calculated 43%.” These choices make the report sound less precise than the chart description requires. “Consumed” is also repeated, and “remained constant” is not suitable for comparing two nutrients at one meal. Prefer direct chart language such as “accounted for,” “stood at” and “was highest in,” and vary these expressions while keeping the meaning exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There are attempts to combine ideas using clauses and contrast, but complex sentences are often faulty, and errors sometimes make relationships difficult to understand. For example, “The graphs illustrates” has subject–verb disagreement, while “Overall, the highest ratio of sodium and saturated fat noted in dinner” is missing a verb and an article or clearer construction. The sentence beginning “however lowest percentage…” also lacks a complete grammatical structure. In the body, “it consumed in snack and breakfast remained same” has unclear subjects and missing articles, and punctuation around “43% however” is not controlled. Build more sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement, articles and clause boundaries before adding linking words.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.