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 data presents the proportion of three different kinds of nutrients in particular meals that may be harmful if taken in high amounts.

Overall, the major portion of sodium and saturated fats are consumed in dinner as compared to sugar which is taken through snacks. Consumption of all of the three is relatively same in the morning.

A large amount of sodium and saturated fat is used in dinner which is 43% and 37%, respectively. However, their usage in snack and breakfast is modest.

Added sugar is a major component in snack that constitues its

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main contrast correctly: sodium and saturated fat peak at dinner, while added sugar is highest in snacks. The figures given for dinner (43% and 37%) are accurate, and the overview also notes that breakfast shares are similar. However, the report is incomplete: it ends mid-sentence at “constitues its,” so the snack figure for sugar and other relevant comparisons are not reported. The claim that sodium and saturated fat use in snacks and breakfast is “modest” is vague, and the chart’s lunch values are omitted. The response also falls 55 words short of the required minimum. To develop the task more fully, complete the sugar comparison and include the key meal percentages in a finished summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic structure: an introduction, an overview beginning with “Overall,” and supporting details about dinner and added sugar. This gives the reader a starting point for following the comparisons. However, progression is limited because the response stops partway through its final sentence, and the meal-by-meal information is not organised into a complete account. The contrast marker “However” does not clearly connect the dinner figures to the vague statement about snacks and breakfast. Use separate, complete paragraphs for the overview and the detailed comparisons, and group the figures consistently by nutrient or meal. Clear links such as “By contrast” and “Meanwhile” would help show how the figures relate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses some relevant topic vocabulary, including “proportion,” “nutrients,” “consumed,” and “component,” and it attempts to describe comparisons with “major portion” and “modest.” However, several choices are imprecise or awkward: “taken in high amounts” is less natural than “consumed in excessive amounts,” and “used in dinner” does not accurately describe nutrient intake. “Particular meals” is also vague for the chart’s meal categories. The spelling error “constitues” and the unfinished phrase “constitues its” further weaken clarity. Aim for precise reporting language such as “accounts for,” “makes up,” and “the highest share,” and check spelling and collocations before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce some understandable sentence forms, including the overview sentence beginning “Overall” and the comparison using “as compared to.” The main relationships between nutrients and meals can generally be understood. However, the range is limited, with several short, simple statements and little development of more varied structures. In “A large amount of sodium and saturated fat … which is 43% and 37%,” the singular “amount” does not agree naturally with two nutrients and two percentages; a clearer construction would be “Sodium and saturated fat account for 43% and 37%, respectively.” The final sentence is incomplete, so it has no finished grammatical structure. Practise complete comparative sentences and check agreement and punctuation.

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