Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-22
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 three pie charts illustrate the standard portion percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients: sodium, saturated fats and added sugar consumed in the USA.
Overall, sodium percentage was higher in dinner compared to rest meals, followed by added sugar precentage recorded in snack.
On the one hand, Sodium portion was recorded highest in dinner that was 43%, Whereas snack and breakfast share 28%, and lunch protion was 1% higher than total of snacks and breakfast.
Followed by saturated fat the highest percentage was observed in dinner that was 37%, lunch share 26% of portion, whereas snacks recored 5% less as compared to lunch, least portion was noticed in breakfast that was only 16%.
On the other hand, Added sugar highest was recored in snacks 42% breakfast and lunch have small difference in precentage that was lunch was 3% highest, dinner portion was second highest thta was 23%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the main pattern that dinner accounts for the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. Several comparisons are also accurate: dinner contains 43% sodium and 37% saturated fat, and snacks contain 42% added sugar. However, the overview is brief and does not clearly summarise the contrasting meal patterns across all three nutrients. There is also a factual error: breakfast and snacks together make up 28% of sodium, not each 28%; the chart shows 14% for each. The comparison that lunch is 1% higher than breakfast plus snacks is correct, but needs clearer wording. The response is 141 words, below the 150-word minimum; nine words copied from the prompt were not counted. Develop the overview and report comparisons more precisely.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate discussion of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. This helps the reader follow the chart categories. However, progression is not consistently clear. The repeated openings “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” do not establish a meaningful contrast, and “Followed by saturated fat” makes the transition between nutrients awkward. Some comparisons are compressed into long sentences, particularly the sodium sentence combining breakfast, snacks and lunch, so the relationships are difficult to follow. Use one paragraph for the overview and organise the details in a consistent order, such as comparing all meal types across each nutrient. Clearer linking and sentence boundaries would make the organisation more effective.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “portion,” “highest,” “least” and “share,” and the reader can generally understand which nutrient and meal you mean. However, the range is limited and some expressions are unnatural or imprecise, such as “standard portion percentages,” “share 28%,” and “highest percentage was observed in dinner.” Repetition of “percentage” and “portion” also makes the report less flexible. There are noticeable spelling errors, including “precentage,” “protion,” “recored” and “thta,” which reduce accuracy and polish. Choose conventional data-reporting collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, describe a meal as “accounting for” a proportion, and use “the largest share” rather than repeatedly calling it the “highest percentage.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt some complex sentence patterns, including comparisons with “whereas” and “as compared to,” and the basic meaning is usually recoverable. However, the range is limited, and several sentences are awkwardly constructed or have punctuation problems. For example, “Overall, sodium percentage was higher in dinner compared to rest meals” is missing articles and uses an unclear comparison structure. In “breakfast and lunch have small difference in precentage that was lunch was 3% highest,” the clause structure is faulty and the comparison is difficult to interpret. Capitalisation after commas and the use of commas between independent clauses also need attention. Practise building shorter, complete sentences with accurate articles and comparison forms, then combine ideas only when the grammar remains clear.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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