Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-27
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 4.5)
The charts below illustrate the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.
Overall, there are three type of nutrients are eaten at four time a day. The highest nutrients meal was eaten at dinner, where the smallest nutrients was eaten at breakfast.
The average percentage of sodium was consumed in the USA is breakfast 14 percentage snack 14 percentage lunch 29 percentage and dinner 43 percentage
Saturated fat was consumed at breakfast 16 percentage snack 21 percentage lunch 26 percentage and dinner 37 percentage
Added sugar was consumed at breakfast 16 percentage snack 19 percentage lunch 19 percentage and dinner 23 percentage
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5
You identify the three nutrients and report several figures, including sodium at 14% for breakfast and 43% for dinner, and saturated fat at 37% for dinner. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: dinner is the largest meal share for sodium and saturated fat, but added sugar is highest in snacks, not dinner; breakfast is not the smallest for every nutrient. The added-sugar figures are also misreported: snacks are 42%, not 19%, and lunch is 19%, not 23%. The response is only 94 words, below the required 150, and the limited coverage leaves important comparisons unexplained. Add a clear overview and accurately compare the main highs and lows across all three nutrients.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has a basic sequence: an opening, an overview, and separate statements for each nutrient. This gives the reader some organisation, and the repeated nutrient labels make it possible to follow the data. However, there is little progression beyond listing figures, and the overview does not prepare the reader accurately for the details. The three data statements are not clearly separated into paragraphs, and there are few linking expressions to show comparisons or contrasts. For example, you could group sodium and saturated fat because both peak at dinner, then contrast them with added sugar, which peaks in snacks. Use paragraphing and connectors such as “whereas” and “by contrast” to make relationships clearer.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “sodium,” “saturated fat,” “added sugar,” and “average percentages,” so the subject is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are repetitive or unnatural, such as “nutrients meal” and “was consumed at breakfast 16 percentage.” The repeated use of “percentage” instead of the concise “%” or “percent” also makes the report less fluent. Choose precise terms for describing chart data, such as “accounted for,” “share,” and “proportion,” and vary how you report figures. For example, “Dinner accounted for 43% of sodium intake” is clearer and more natural than the current list-like phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
Most of your sentences use simple structures, and the reader can identify the intended topic and many of the figures. However, errors in agreement and sentence construction are frequent. In “there are three type of nutrients are eaten at four time a day,” the subject and verb pattern are not controlled, and “type” and “time” also need plural forms. The overview phrase “The highest nutrients meal was eaten at dinner” has an unclear grammatical relationship between the meal and nutrient. The data statements are fragments rather than complete sentences, for example, “The average percentage of sodium was consumed in the USA is breakfast…” Practise complete reporting structures, such as “Sodium accounted for 43% at dinner,” and check agreement, articles, and punctuation.
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