Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-23

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 4.0)

The pie charts depicts the four meals and the average quantity of nutrients, sodium, saturated fat and added sugar, all could be unhealthy if over-eat.

Overal, the quantity of sodium in higher in dinners while sugar took a big part in snacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the chart’s subject and gives two relevant headline observations: sodium is highest at dinner, and added sugar is highest in snacks. These are grounded in the data (43% and 42%, respectively). However, the report is far too brief to summarise the charts adequately: it gives no figures, omits the saturated-fat pattern, and makes no comparisons across the four meals. The overview is also imprecise, since “sugar took a big part” does not clearly state that snacks account for the largest share of added sugar. The required minimum of 150 words is not met. To improve, provide a clear overview and select key figures and contrasts, including the dinner peaks for sodium and saturated fat and the snack peak for added sugar.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The two sentences follow a basic, sensible order: the first introduces the charts, and the second attempts to summarise their main features. “Overall” also signals that the second sentence is intended as an overview. However, the response has no developed paragraph structure or progression beyond these brief statements, and the relationship between the three nutrients is not explained. The overview would be clearer if it grouped the main patterns—for example, dinner leads for sodium and saturated fat, whereas snacks lead for added sugar—before supporting this with selected details. Use a complete introduction, overview, and detail paragraph so the reader can follow the comparison from general trends to evidence.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a small set of relevant chart terms, including “pie charts,” “meals,” “nutrients,” “sodium,” “saturated fat,” and “added sugar,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the vocabulary range is very limited, and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “quantity” is not the best term for percentages, “took a big part” is vague, and “over-eat” does not fit the intended meaning. There is also a spelling error in “Overal.” Aim for precise language for reporting proportions and comparisons, such as “accounted for,” “proportion,” and “highest share.” These choices would make the summary more formal and specific without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts two straightforward sentences, and the intended meaning can generally be understood. However, grammatical control is weakened by errors in both sentences. “The pie charts depicts” has a subject–verb agreement error; “all could be unhealthy” is missing a suitable relative construction; and “if over-eat” is not a complete, correctly formed conditional phrase. In the overview, “the quantity of sodium in higher” contains an incorrect verb form, while “sugar took a big part in snacks” does not form a clear grammatical comparison. The sentence structures are also very limited. Practise accurate introductory clauses and comparison patterns, such as “The charts show…” and “Dinner accounts for a higher proportion of sodium than…”, then check agreement and verb forms.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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