Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-16

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 illustrate the average proportion in typical meals of of three kinds of nutrients, all of which mat be unhealthy if eaten too much.

In an overview the highest percentage of sodium is dinner and the lowest percentage of sodium is snack , and the highest percentage of saturated fat is dinner , and the lowest percentage of saturated fat is breakfast . However the highest percentage of added sugar is snack and the lowest percentage of added sugar is breakfast.

First and foremost, the percentage of sncak in sodium 14% , and the percentage of snack in saturated fat 21% , and the proportion of snack in added sugar 42% . As well as the proportion of breakfast in sodium 14% , and the percentage of breakfast in saturated fat 16% , and the percentage of breakfast in added sugar 16% . However the percentage of dinner in sodium , 43% and saturated fat 37% and added sugar 23% .

At least but not last the percentage of lunch in sodium 29% . Furthermore, the percentage of luch in saturated fat 26% . At the end of the percentage of lunch in added sugar 19%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main contrasts accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar; you also report the relevant meal figures correctly. This gives the response a clear overview and covers all three nutrients. The comparison that breakfast and snacks both account for the lowest sodium share is also supported by the chart, although the overview mentions only snacks. To strengthen the response further, synthesise the overall pattern rather than listing figures meal by meal—for example, note that dinner is the main source of sodium and saturated fat, whereas added sugar is concentrated in snacks. This would make the key features more fully developed and the comparisons more purposeful.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and paragraphs reporting the figures. However, progression within the body is limited because the information is mostly presented as repeated lists: “the percentage of snack in sodium 14%” and then the breakfast and dinner figures in the same pattern. Linking phrases such as “First and foremost,” “However,” and “At least but not last” are either mechanical or do not clearly express the relationship between the data. The final lunch figures are separated into a short paragraph without a meaningful concluding comparison. Grouping the information by the main patterns—dinner versus snacks, for instance—and using simpler, more precise transitions would create clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “nutrients,” and the meal names, so the topic remains understandable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are repeated, especially “the percentage of” and “the proportion of.” Some word choices and spelling errors reduce precision, such as “sncak,” “luch,” and “mat be”; “At least but not last” is also not an appropriate expression for introducing the final point. Use a wider set of accurate chart-reporting terms, such as “accounted for,” “share,” and “was highest,” while checking spelling and collocation. This would make the description more natural and concise without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response communicates the figures, but grammatical control is uneven and the sentence patterns are quite repetitive. The opening has a subject–verb agreement error in “The pie chart illustrate,” and the overview contains long strings joined mainly by “and,” with limited control of sentence boundaries and punctuation. In the body, phrases such as “the percentage of snack in sodium 14%” are not complete grammatical clauses; a clearer form would be “Snacks accounted for 14% of sodium.” There are attempts to vary structure with “However” and “Furthermore,” but these do not compensate for the limited range of well-formed sentences. Practise complete subject–verb clauses and accurate comparisons, then proofread agreement, articles and punctuation.

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