Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-24
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 5.0)
The piechart showcases the average percentages of nutritients such as sodium, saturated fats and added sugars across their three daily meals of people in the USA. Overall, it is seen that people consume the most added sugar during their snack meal. Wheareas, during their dinner shares the largest portion of sodium and saturated fat.
On the other hand, they consumer low amount of all nutrients during their breakfast.
Now, turning to the details of sodium,
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response identifies the chart topic and gives two relevant overview points: added sugar is highest in snacks, while sodium and saturated fat peak at dinner. These comparisons match the data. However, the report stops just as it begins the detail section (“Now, turning to the details of sodium,”), so it does not provide the figures or comparisons needed to summarise the charts adequately. The claim that breakfast has the lowest amount of “all nutrients” is also inaccurate: breakfast is tied with snacks for the lowest sodium share, and it is not the lowest for added sugar. The response is only 75 words, below the required 150. To improve, complete the report with accurate key percentages and comparisons across all three nutrients.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening identifies the subject, followed by an overview and a transition towards details. The overview also groups the main patterns by meal, which gives the reader a starting point. However, the response ends mid-transition, so there is no developed body paragraph or progression through the data. The connectors “Overall” and “On the other hand” do not clearly express the relationship between the points, and the standalone “Now, turning to the details of sodium” leaves the structure unfinished. Build a complete sequence: introduction, concise overview, then organised detail paragraphs comparing the nutrient figures.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The response uses some relevant chart-reporting vocabulary, including “average percentages,” “consume,” “largest portion,” and “during,” and the main topic remains understandable. However, the range is limited, and several word-form, spelling, or collocation choices reduce precision: “piechart” should be “pie chart,” “nutritients” should be “nutrients,” and “they consumer low amount” is not a natural expression. “Three daily meals” is also imprecise because the chart includes snacks as well as meals. Use accurate terms such as “proportion,” “accounted for,” and “the lowest share,” and vary the language used to compare the four meal categories.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response shows some control of basic sentence forms, including the opening sentence and the overview statement beginning “Overall, it is seen that…”. However, the range is narrow, and sentence construction is not consistently controlled. “Wheareas, during their dinner shares the largest portion…” is a fragment rather than a complete sentence, while “On the other hand, they consumer low amount…” has an incomplete grammatical pattern and unclear agreement. The comma after “sodium” in the final line also leaves an unfinished clause. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use comparison structures such as “Dinner accounts for the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat.”
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