Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-14

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 chart illustrates the percentage data of nutrients for three types that are unhealthy to eat too much.

First, the chart shows that 2 out of 3 dinners have the most unhealthy items, with 43% sodium and 37% saturated fat.

After that, sodium and saturated fat lead in lunch, with the 2nd highest at 29% and 26%, but added sugar is low in lunch, which is a good sign. Out of all the three chat the breakfast is the healthiest part in the USA as it has relatively low percentages in all the 3 chart with 14% in sodium, which is same in the snack, but saturated fat and added suger is ralatively less in breakfast, with only 16% in both. After carefully analysing all the charts, we can conclude that dinner, followed by the snack, is the most unhealthy meal in the USA and the Breackfast is the healthiest option, with relatively fewer nutrients

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern that dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, and you correctly report the key figures of 43% and 37%. You also note that added sugar is highest in snacks, but this important contrast is not developed: the chart shows 42% for snacks, compared with 23% at dinner. The overview that dinner is followed by snacks as the most unhealthy meal is therefore too broad, since the leading meal varies by nutrient. Some comparisons are accurate, such as breakfast’s low figures, but calling it the healthiest option and describing the nutrients as “unhealthy items” oversimplifies what the percentages represent. A clearer overview comparing all three nutrients, supported by the most significant figures, would make the report more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable sequence, moving from dinner to lunch and breakfast before ending with a conclusion. However, the information is presented in one long paragraph, so the overview and supporting comparisons are not clearly separated. Linking phrases such as “First,” “After that,” and “After carefully analysing” provide some structure, but they can feel mechanical and do not always show the relationship between the data. For example, the discussion shifts from lunch to breakfast and then makes a broad conclusion about snacks without explaining the comparison. Organise the report into a brief overview followed by grouped details, and use links such as “By contrast” to make comparisons clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant terms, including “percentage,” “sodium,” “saturated fat,” and “added sugar,” so the reader can identify the chart categories. However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for describing data. “2 out of 3 dinners have the most unhealthy items” does not clearly express that dinner has the highest percentages for two nutrients, while “the healthiest part” and “unhealthy meal” make evaluative claims rather than reporting the figures neutrally. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “suger,” “ralatively,” “chat,” and “Breackfast.” Use precise chart language such as “accounted for,” “proportion,” and “highest share,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a clause beginning “which is a good sign” and a concluding sentence introduced by “After carefully analysing.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in sentence construction and punctuation sometimes make the relationships between ideas unclear. For instance, “Out of all the three chat the breakfast is the healthiest part … in all the 3 chart” has faulty structure and number agreement, and the long sentence beginning “After that” joins several comparisons without clear punctuation. The opening phrase “The chart illustrates the percentage data of nutrients for three types” is also grammatically awkward. Practise building shorter, complete comparison sentences, checking articles and singular/plural agreement, and separating clauses with appropriate punctuation.

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