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 illustrate average percentage of three kinds of nutrients in our daily meals ,which if taken in high amount could be harmful to health.

In USA,overall consumption of sodium,saturated fats and added sugar is quite high.Sodium and Saturated fat is dominant in meals taken at night, such as dinner.Whereas Added sugar is spiking in snacks.

Firstly, talking about sodium, it shows a downward pattern in snack and breakfast at about 14% and then gradually rising upto 29% in lunch.The highest amount is in dinner at about 43%.

A similar pattern of saturated fats and sugars was observed in breakfast at 16%, while snacks had 21% fat but the highest amount of sugar marking 42%.Fats took the lead in dinner by 37% and sugars at 23%.Lastly,Lunch was at 26% in fats and sugars at 19%.

The overall analysis shows breakfast was the healthiest ,while lunch stood a middle grouns and dinner was the

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrasts accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks account for the most added sugar. Several figures are also reported correctly, including sodium at 43% for dinner and added sugar at 42% for snacks. This gives the response a relevant overview and useful supporting detail. However, the overview is incomplete: the final sentence breaks off at “dinner was the”, leaving the comparison unfinished, and the claim that overall consumption is “quite high” is not a clear comparison between meal types. Some details are also expressed unclearly, such as “a downward pattern in snack and breakfast” when both are equal at 14%. A complete overview and more precise comparisons would strengthen coverage of the key features.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the three nutrients. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Lastly,” and “while” help signal relationships, and the reader can generally follow the comparisons. However, progression is weakened by grouping several nutrients and meal types together in one long paragraph, which makes the figures harder to track. The transition “A similar pattern” is not fully clear because the sugar distribution differs substantially from the sodium and fat patterns. The final overview is also cut off, so the response does not reach a complete conclusion. Use separate, logically organised detail paragraphs and make each comparison explicit to improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “average percentage,” “dominant,” “highest amount,” and “pattern,” and the meaning is usually understandable. There is some attempt to vary wording rather than simply repeat the chart labels. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural: “taken at night” is less suitable than “consumed at dinner,” and “Added sugar is spiking in snacks” is informal and does not describe a static chart naturally. “Middle grouns” appears to be a spelling error, while “quite high” is vague because the figures show proportions by meal rather than overall consumption levels. Aim for precise reporting verbs and collocations, and check spelling and capitalisation of nutrient names.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, for example using “while” to contrast the snack figures with dinner and lunch. Most of the intended comparisons can be understood, but some grammatical errors and punctuation problems remain. In “Sodium and Saturated fat is dominant,” the plural subject requires “are,” and “average percentage of three kinds” needs a plural form or an article, such as “the average percentages.” The sentence beginning “Whereas Added sugar…” is a fragment, and the final sentence is incomplete. Commas are also often missing after introductory phrases, while spaces before commas are incorrectly used. Review agreement, sentence boundaries, and punctuation so that complex comparisons remain complete and accurate.

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