Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 graphs illustrate the average percentages of unhealthy meals if eaten too much in three types of nutrients.

Overall, dinner is the largest contributor of sodium and saturated fat, whereas snacks account for the highest meal for sugar. Breakfast consistently contributes the least to all three nutrients.

Dinner provides 43% of sodium and 37% of saturated fat, significantly higher than lunch at 29% and 26% respectively. However, snacks is making up to 42% in sugar,while 14% in sodium and 21% in saturated fat. However, dinner, lunch and breakfast contribute 23%, 19% and 16%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main pattern accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. The figures you include are generally correct, and the overview also notes breakfast’s low contribution. However, the report is substantially under the required 150 words, so the data are only partially covered. For example, breakfast’s 14% sodium and 16% saturated fat, and lunch’s 19% added sugar, are not clearly compared; the final sentence gives sugar figures without explicitly naming the nutrient. Develop the overview and compare all four meals across the three charts, rather than leaving several figures implicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph of supporting figures. This gives the reader a coherent overall route through the information. The overview is especially useful in contrasting dinner with snacks. However, the final paragraph’s comparisons are compressed, and the repeated “However” does not express a clear contrast in both places. The phrase “while 14% in sodium and 21% in saturated fat” also leaves the relationship between the figures and snacks less explicit. Use clearer links such as “By contrast” where appropriate, and organise the details by meal or nutrient so each comparison is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of chart-reporting vocabulary, including “illustrate,” “contributor,” “account for,” and “provides.” These choices help communicate the main trends, and the nutrient names are used appropriately. Some collocations are imprecise, however: “the highest meal for sugar” is not a natural way to describe the largest share, and “unhealthy meals if eaten too much” does not accurately express that excessive consumption of the nutrients may be unhealthy. “Snacks is making up to 42%” is also awkwardly phrased. Aim for precise expressions such as “the largest share of added sugar” and “may be harmful when consumed in excess,” while varying reporting verbs naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple statements and a more complex comparison, as in “Dinner provides 43% of sodium and 37% of saturated fat, significantly higher than lunch…”. Most of the intended meaning remains understandable. Some grammatical errors and punctuation problems are present: “snacks is making up” has subject–verb disagreement, and the comma in “sugar,while” needs a following space. The final sentence, “However, dinner, lunch and breakfast contribute 23%, 19% and 16%,” omits what these percentages refer to, leaving the sentence incomplete in context. Use complete clauses with explicit subjects and nutrient references, and check agreement and punctuation when editing.

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