Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-15

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 4.0)

The chart below shows the average percentages in typical meals of the three types Sodium, Saturated fat, Added suger, which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.

First of all, Sodium the Snack and breakfast the same percentage of 14%, dinner 43%, lunch 29% And the Saturated show the Snak 21%, And the breakfast 16%, and the lunch show the percentage 26%, and the dinner 37%. And.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the three nutrients and report several figures accurately: for example, sodium is highest at dinner (43%), and saturated fat is 37% at dinner. However, the response is incomplete: added sugar is not reported at all, and there is no clear overview comparing the main patterns across the charts. The opening mostly repeats the task wording, while the body lists figures without explaining the key contrasts. The response is also 59 words, below the required 150 words; eight words copied from the prompt were excluded from that count. To improve, include all three nutrients, summarise the main highs and lows, and support that overview with selected accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, beginning with an introduction and then moving to figures for sodium and saturated fat. The sequence within those figures is generally understandable. However, the response ends abruptly with “And.”, and the repeated use of “And” does not create clear links between ideas. There is no separate overview or paragraphing to distinguish the main trends from supporting details, so the reader has to infer the intended comparison. Use a short overview followed by logically grouped details, and connect contrasts explicitly—for example, compare dinner’s high sodium and saturated-fat shares with snacks’ high added-sugar share.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “dinner,” “lunch,” and the nutrient names, so the basic subject is recognisable. However, the range is narrow and repetitive, with “show” and “percentage” used repeatedly instead of more precise reporting language. There are also spelling errors in “suger” and “Snak,” and “the three types Sodium” is an awkward phrase that makes the introduction less clear. Build a small range of accurate terms for describing proportions and comparisons, such as “accounted for,” “share,” “highest,” and “whereas.” Check the spelling of key labels and use standard forms consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

You attempt to report several figures in short clauses, and the reader can usually identify which meal each number refers to. However, most of the response consists of fragments rather than complete, controlled sentences. For example, “First of all, Sodium the Snack and breakfast the same percentage of 14%” lacks a clear verb, while “dinner 43%, lunch 29%” is an unconnected list. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, and the final “And.” leaves an incomplete sentence. Practise forming complete sentences with a subject and verb, such as “Sodium accounted for 14% at breakfast and in snacks, compared with 43% at dinner.” Then use a few accurate comparison structures.

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