Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-20

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 charts illustrates the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten in a large amount.

Overall, in breakfast the amount of sodium is relatively less than saturated fat and added sugar. Added sugar, has a huge portion in snacks compared to saturated fat and sugar. Lunch contains more sodium then the amount of saturated fats and sugars. In addition, dinner contains the most amount of sodium. Snacks and lunches contain same proportion of sodium.

During breakfast, the amount of sodium consumed is is 14%, which is lower than saturated fat and added sugars with a portion of 16%. Snacks usually contains the highest amount of added sugar, about 42%. Comparatively, snacks comprises of 21% of saturated fats and 14% of sodium.

Furthermore, 26% of lunch has sodium, which makes it the highest ingrediant in lunches. Saturated fats come second with 26% percent and added sugars are ranked last covering 19% of the lunch. Sodium is again the highest ingrediant used in dinner. The dinner is made up of 43% of sodium, 37% of saturated fats and 23% of added sugars.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important patterns, including dinner as the largest source of sodium and snacks as the largest source of added sugar, and you include figures to support these points. However, some comparisons are inaccurate: lunch sodium is 29%, not 26%, so it is not equal to saturated fat, which is 26%; the statement that snacks and lunches have the same sodium proportion is also incorrect (14% versus 29%). The overview also says breakfast sodium is lower than both other nutrients, but it is tied with added sugar at 14% versus 16%—and the chart gives breakfast added sugar as 16%. Your coverage is relevant, but some features are less clearly or accurately reported, particularly the lunch data and the overall comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing meal data. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “During breakfast,” and “Furthermore” help signal the stages of the report. However, the progression is weakened by repeated information and unclear comparisons. For example, the overview says dinner has the most sodium, which is repeated in the final paragraph, while the lunch discussion contains conflicting figures and rankings. The sentence “Added sugar, has a huge portion in snacks compared to saturated fat and sugar” is also difficult to follow because it compares sugar with itself. Grouping the meal comparisons more systematically and checking that each sentence follows logically from the previous one would make the report easier to read.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “compared to,” “ranked,” and “covering,” and the reader can generally understand the intended comparisons. However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing data. “Huge portion” is informal and imprecise, while “ingredients” does not describe percentages of nutrients in meals. Repeated use of “amount” and “contains” also makes the report less varied. There are spelling errors in “ingrediant,” and phrases such as “26% percent” are redundant. Aim for precise terms such as “share,” “accounted for,” and “highest proportion,” and use them consistently to describe the chart figures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, and most of the information remains understandable. However, errors in agreement, sentence construction, and punctuation are noticeable. The opening “The charts illustrates” should use a plural verb, while “Snacks usually contains” also needs plural agreement. The phrase “the amount of sodium consumed is is 14%” repeats the verb, and “Added sugar, has” contains an unnecessary comma. In “26% of lunch has sodium,” the grammatical construction is unclear; a direct form such as “Sodium accounts for 29% of lunch” would be more accurate and controlled. Review subject–verb agreement and proofread for repeated words and punctuation, while continuing to practise varied sentence structures.

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