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 Diagram shows the aggregate of typical food meals of 3 types of ingredients, and the ingridient which is eaten the most is the unhealthiest.

All the Three Pie charts are given with a total of 100% and are divided in different proportions. sodium in dinner has the maximum proportion and sodium in breakfast and lunch has the least portion ,Saturated Fat is maximum in dinner and least in breakfast , Sugar is maximum in snack and least in breakfast.

In the first Image sodium is distributed in different proportions with the lowest in snack and breakfast both 14% and lunch is 29% with the 43% in dinner. In Second Image Saturated fat is divided in different compositions with the lowest in breakfast with a percentage of 16% , lunch is 26% , snack is 21% and with 37% in dinner. In the Third Image Added Sugar is distributed in different proportions with the lowest in breakfast with a aggregate of 16% , lunch is 19%, the maximum aggregate of 42% in snack and dinner with 23% .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You report most of the chart figures accurately, including the 43% sodium share at dinner, the 37% saturated-fat share at dinner, and the 42% added-sugar share in snacks. You also identify the main peaks and lows, so the response is relevant to the task. However, the overview is not fully reliable: it says sodium at breakfast and lunch has the least proportion, although lunch is 29% and breakfast and snacks are both 14%. The opening claim that the ingredient eaten most is the unhealthiest is not shown by these charts, which compare nutrient shares across meals rather than total consumption or health effects. A clearer overview should compare the dominant meal for each nutrient and note that dinner leads for sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an opening statement, a broad summary, and then details for the three charts. This helps the reader locate the information, and the figures are generally grouped by nutrient. However, progression is weakened by repetition: the second paragraph previews the same highs and lows that are then repeated in the final paragraph. Linking is also mechanical, with repeated openings such as “In the first Image,” “In Second Image,” and “In the Third Image.” Some punctuation makes the relationships between points unclear, particularly the long sentence listing the sodium figures. Organise the report around an accurate overview followed by concise comparisons, and use clearer sentence boundaries and references to connect the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “distributed,” and “maximum,” and the reader can usually understand which nutrient and meal you mean. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing chart data. “Aggregate” is repeatedly used where “share” or “percentage” is intended, while “different compositions” does not clearly describe the values. “Ingredients” is also unsuitable because sodium, saturated fat and added sugar are nutrients, not meals or ingredients in this context. Spelling errors such as “ingridient” and inconsistent capitalisation reduce control. Build a more precise set of terms—such as “accounted for,” “highest share,” and “lowest proportion”—and check spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response communicates the basic comparisons, but sentence structures are mostly simple or list-like, and attempts to combine several points often produce faulty sentences. For example, “sodium in breakfast and lunch has the least portion” has a subject–verb agreement problem and does not express the intended comparison clearly. The sentence beginning “In the first Image” runs several figures together without effective punctuation, while “with the 43% in dinner” is an incomplete grammatical pattern. Articles and sentence openings are also inconsistent, as in “In Second Image.” Use complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, check singular and plural agreement, and separate data points with full stops or well-controlled clauses. More accurate complex sentences would improve clarity.

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