Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-13

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 pie chart illustrates the average percentage of food which comprised the three nutrients, if they took in great amount then the result can be dangerous for health.

Overall, the dinner accounted the highest proportion of sodium and saturated fat but added sugar contributed in the second place. In breakfast the percentage remain almost same in all three nutrients. Snaks contributed the significant share in added sugar.

looking first at sodium and saturated fat the dinner contributed the 37% and 43% respectively while lunch occupied the 29 and 26 percentage. The percentage of breakfast reamin almost the same at 16 and 14 percentage.

Turning to added sugar, dinner recorded the 23% and with the slight difference the luch and breakfast stood at 19 and 16 percent. The snack contributed the largest proportion of 42% in added sugar, the sodium and saturated fat occupied the 21 and 14% of the overall meal.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important patterns, especially that dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat and that snacks lead for added sugar. However, the overview is partly unclear: “added sugar contributed in the second place” does not accurately describe the chart, where snacks are highest and dinner is second. Some figures are also assigned to the wrong nutrients: dinner is 43% sodium and 37% saturated fat, not the reverse, and the snack figures are 42% added sugar, 21% saturated fat and 14% sodium. You cover all three nutrients, but clearer, accurate comparisons and a more precise overview are needed to make the key features fully clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to sodium/saturated fat and then added sugar. This gives the reader a basic progression, and phrases such as “Overall,” “Looking first” and “Turning to” help signal the stages. However, the overview is not fully consistent with the later details, and the grouping of sodium and saturated fat makes the reversed figures harder to follow. Some links are mechanical, while the final sentence combines several comparisons without clearly distinguishing which percentages belong to which nutrient. Use separate, focused comparisons and ensure each paragraph develops one clear point; this would make the organisation more controlled and the references easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “accounted,” “proportion,” “contributed” and “recorded,” and the reader can generally understand the comparisons you intend to make. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “the percentage of food which comprised the three nutrients,” “contributed in the second place” and “occupied the 29 and 26 percentage.” There are also spelling errors, including “Snaks,” “reamin” and “luch,” which reduce precision. Aim for standard reporting phrases such as “made up,” “accounted for” and “stood at,” and check spelling carefully. More accurate use of this vocabulary would make the description clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, including a conditional opening and clauses introduced by “while” and “but.” However, grammatical errors occur in several sentences and sometimes make relationships unclear. For example, “the dinner accounted the highest proportion” is missing a preposition, while “the percentage remain almost same” has an incorrect verb form and lacks an article. In “the dinner contributed the 37% and 43% respectively,” the article and sentence construction are problematic. Work on articles, subject–verb agreement, verb forms and sentence boundaries, and build complex sentences only when their structure is secure. These corrections would improve accuracy while preserving your attempts at varied syntax.

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