Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-19
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 charts illustrate the average proportion of sodium, saturated fat, and sugar in all meals, the quatity of all may be not healthy if excessively used.
Overall, sodium and saturated fat, highly used in dinner, while the least quantity of all nutrients is used in breakfast. On the other side, sugar is much used in snack.
A close analysis of the given data, whole nutrients are least used in breakfast, of average 16%, while sodium only 14%. Whereas the proportion of snack follows a similar pattern in sodium and saturated fat, while in sugar it used its highest proportion of 42%.
The criteria of given nutrients in lunch follows relatively similar pattern 19% uses in lunch, as in saturated fat and sodium used 26% and 29% respectively. The proportion of saturated fat and sodium includes in dinner is the higher ratio than any other meal. As the percentage of sugar in dinner in least than fat and sodium.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
You identify the main contrasts accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks account for the most added sugar. You also include relevant figures, such as 43% sodium at dinner and 42% added sugar in snacks, and compare lunch across the nutrients. This covers the task well, with some features more fully reported than others. However, the overview says breakfast has the lowest quantity of all nutrients, which is not accurate for added sugar: breakfast is 16%, below lunch and dinner but above neither snack? More importantly, it is tied with saturated fat at 16%, while sodium is lowest at 14%. Clarify these comparisons and report the dinner and snack figures for all three nutrients to make the overview more precise and fully developed.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression between points is not consistently clear: the third paragraph combines breakfast and snack comparisons, then the final paragraph returns to lunch and dinner. Some linking phrases are awkward or do not show the intended relationship, such as “On the other side” and “Whereas.” The repeated use of “proportion” and “pattern” also makes the organisation feel less controlled. Grouping the data by meal, or comparing the three nutrients in a consistent order, and using clearer transitions would improve cohesion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “average proportion,” “percentage,” “nutrients” and “relatively similar pattern,” so the topic is generally clear. There is also an attempt to vary wording rather than simply list figures. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “highly used in dinner,” “least quantity … is used,” and “the criteria of given nutrients.” “Sugar” is less precise than “added sugar,” the category shown in the chart, and “quatity” is misspelled. These choices sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. Aim for precise reporting verbs and collocations, such as “accounted for,” “was highest in,” and “the proportion of.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including comparisons and subordinate clauses, but control is inconsistent. Several sentences lack a complete or correctly formed clause: “Overall, sodium and saturated fat, highly used in dinner” has no main verb, while “while in sugar it used its highest proportion” has an unclear subject and verb construction. There are also problems with articles and prepositions, as in “in the breakfast” and “used in dinner,” and the final sentence, “As the percentage of sugar in dinner in least than fat and sodium,” is incomplete and difficult to interpret. These errors can interrupt understanding. Build each comparison around a clear subject and verb, and check sentence boundaries and verb forms before submitting.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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