Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-18

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 5.0)

There are three charts given below which shows the average percentage of nutrients in typical meals like snacks,breakfast,lunch and dinner.The given charts show the percentage of three nutrients like sodium,saturated fats and added sugars.The three charts show the average percentage of sodium,saturated fats and added sugar in typical meals consumed in the USA.

These three nutrients sodium,saturated fats and added sugar may be unhealthy if it is taken too much.Sodium is used 14 percent in breakfast and in snacks.Same amount os sodium is used in breakfast and snacks.In lunch 29% and in dinner 43% sodium is eaten.

In breakeast both saturated fat and sugar eaten in same amount 16% and in snack 21% saturated fat is eaten.In lunch and dinner it is eaten 26% and 37%.

Added sugar is used 42 percent in snacks and 23 percent in dinner.In lunch 19 percent of added sugar is eaten and most of the sugar is eaten in snacks.The most of the saturated fats is eaten in dinner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You report several accurate figures, including sodium at 14% for breakfast and snacks, 29% for lunch and 43% for dinner, and added sugar at 42% for snacks. You also identify dinner as the main meal for sodium and saturated fat, and snacks as the main source of added sugar. However, the response has no clear overview bringing these key patterns together, and coverage is incomplete: for example, the saturated-fat figures for breakfast and snacks are given, but the added-sugar figures for breakfast and the comparison across all meals are not fully presented. Some wording also makes the data sound like amounts eaten rather than percentages of each nutrient in meals. Select the main contrasts and summarise them clearly before giving supporting figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has some basic organisation: it begins with an introduction and then discusses sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in separate sections. This gives the reader a general sense of the topic. However, there is no distinct overview, and the progression is limited; the opening repeats the chart description several times rather than establishing the main trends. Linking is also repetitive, with frequent sentence openings such as “In lunch” and “In dinner,” while “Same amount” refers back to the previous sentence without adding much cohesion. Grouping the figures by the most important patterns—for example, dinner’s high sodium and saturated fat versus snacks’ high added sugar—would create a clearer progression and stronger paragraph structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the basic subject and figures, using relevant terms such as “sodium,” “saturated fats,” “added sugar,” and “percentage.” However, the range is limited and several expressions are repetitive or imprecise. “Is eaten” and “is used” are repeated for nutrients, although the charts show their proportions in meals; this can make the meaning less exact. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “breakeast,” and awkward phrasing such as “the most of the sugar.” Use a wider set of accurate reporting expressions, such as “accounts for,” “constitutes,” and “the highest proportion,” and check spelling and collocations. This would make the description more precise and easier to read.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You mainly use short, simple sentences, and the basic meaning of most figures can be understood. There are attempts to combine information, such as “In lunch 29% and in dinner 43% sodium is eaten,” but sentence structures remain limited and errors occur frequently. For example, “three charts … which shows” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “These three nutrients … may be unhealthy if it is taken too much” has unclear pronoun reference and an incorrect passive construction. Articles and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “In lunch” and the run-on opening description. Practise accurate comparative sentences and clauses, while checking agreement, articles and punctuation; this will help you express the data without distracting grammatical problems.

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