Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The pie chart compares the average percentage of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in typical meals, which can be cause health problems when in excess in USA.

Overall, sodium and saturated fat is more concentrated at dinner while added sugar is more profound in snacks. Additionally breakfast was the most healthy food has it contained the least of all the three nutrients while dinner is the least healthy.

Breakfast contained about 14% sodium, 16 % saturated fat and 16% added sugar. This is the most healthy food of the say. Similarly snack contained about 14% sodium, 21% saturated fat and a whooping 42% added sugar. Which makes it the meal with the highest amount of sugar across the four categories

Lunch contained about 29% sodium, 26% saturated fat and 19% added fat. Lunch contained twice as much sodium as breakfast. While dinnder the most unhealthy meal of the day contained triple th amount of sodium found in snack and breakfast about 43%, 37% saturated fat. The most fatty food of the day and 23% added sugar,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead in added sugar. The overview also highlights breakfast’s relatively low figures, and most reported percentages match the chart. However, some comparisons are inaccurate or unclear: dinner’s sodium share (43%) is about three times the 14% in breakfast or snacks, not clearly “triple” both as phrased, and lunch’s 19% is added sugar, not “added fat.” Calling breakfast the “most healthy” and dinner the “least healthy” also goes beyond what the chart directly establishes; describe the nutrient proportions instead. The response covers the key features, but some details need more precise reporting and interpretation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to meal-by-meal details. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression is weakened by abrupt or incomplete sentences, such as “Which makes it the meal with the highest amount of sugar” and “While dinnder…”; these fragments interrupt the flow. The repeated use of “contained about” also makes the report feel list-like, while “Similarly” does not clearly express the relationship between breakfast and snacks. Grouping the main comparisons more deliberately—for example, contrasting dinner with breakfast and snacks, then describing the different snack pattern for sugar—would create clearer progression and more effective cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “contained,” “highest amount,” and “across the four categories,” so the topic is generally clear. There are also attempts at more varied wording, such as “concentrated” and “whooping,” but some choices are inaccurate or too informal for an academic report. “More profound in snacks” does not naturally describe a higher proportion, and “whooping” is conversational. “Most healthy food” and “most fatty food” are imprecise descriptions of nutrient shares. Spelling slips such as “dinnder” and “say” also reduce accuracy. Aim for neutral, precise terms such as “accounted for,” “proportion,” and “highest share,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more complex forms, including the opening relative clause and comparisons such as “twice as much sodium as breakfast.” However, grammatical control is inconsistent. In the overview, “sodium and saturated fat is” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “which can be cause health problems” has an incorrect verb construction. Several sentences are fragments, including “Which makes it…” and “The most fatty food of the day and 23% added sugar,” while the final sentence beginning “While dinnder…” is not completed clearly. Punctuation and sentence boundaries also need attention. Build complete sentences around each comparison, check agreement and verb forms, and use commas and full stops to separate ideas accurately.

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