Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-12

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 4.5)

the bar chart illustrates the acerage persontgaes in typical meals of three types of nutrients

all pf which may be unhealthy if eaten too much

all in all, it can be see highest proportion all items however the dinner highest proportion in sodium and again dinner longest eaten in saturated fat moreover the snack is largest in added sugar however sodium is more highest proportion than two items

in sodium the dinner acounted the highest recoreded 43% personages meals

lunch represented 29% perontges nutrients second highest in sodium while sanck and breakfast were smiler which represented 14%

saturated fat dinner was the highest figure recorded 37% meals and nutrients while lunch secound highest which proportion 26% comapare with 21%

snack recorded the 21%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify some key features correctly: dinner has the highest shares of sodium (43%) and saturated fat (37%), while snacks lead in added sugar (42%). You also report the sodium figures for lunch, breakfast and snacks accurately. However, the response is incomplete: the added-sugar figures are not developed, and the saturated-fat comparison is unclear, with “compare with 21%” not identifying the relevant meal clearly. The overview is difficult to interpret, and the claim that sodium is “more highest proportion than two items” is unsupported or unclear. At 106 words, the response is 44 words below the 150-word minimum; 17 words copied from the prompt are excluded from the count. Include a clear overview and report the main comparisons across all three nutrients.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, moving from an opening statement to an overview and then to details about sodium and saturated fat. This gives the reader some sense of the chart’s categories. However, progression is limited: the added-sugar data are not given a clear paragraph or explanation, and the overview combines several points in a confusing way. Linking words such as “moreover” and “while” are used, but relationships between figures are sometimes unclear, particularly in the saturated-fat sentence. Use separate, focused paragraphs for the overview and comparisons, and connect each comparison explicitly to its meal and nutrient. This would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “highest,” “proportion,” “represented” and “recorded,” so the reader can recognise that you are describing percentages. However, the range is basic and repetitive, and frequent spelling and word-form errors make parts difficult to understand: “acerage,” “persontgaes,” “perontges” and “smiler” appear in place of standard forms. Some expressions are also unnatural, such as “longest eaten in saturated fat” and “highest recorded … percentages meals.” Choose precise terms such as “share,” “accounted for” and “percentage of the meal,” and check spelling carefully. More accurate, varied vocabulary would help you describe comparisons without repeating “highest” throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts simple statements and some longer sentences joined with “while” and “moreover,” but grammatical control is inconsistent and the range remains limited. Errors in sentence structure and verb forms occur in examples such as “it can be see highest proportion” and “the dinner acounted the highest recoreded,” where the intended subject and relationship are difficult to follow. Articles and sentence boundaries are also unreliable, and several clauses run together without clear punctuation. Aim first for complete sentences with a clear subject and verb—for example, “Dinner accounted for the highest share of sodium, at 43%.” Then practise combining comparisons accurately, while checking articles, verb forms and punctuation.

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

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