Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The three pie charts illustrate the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients such as sodium, saturated fat and added sugar, all of which maybe unhealthy if eaten too much.

Overall, it is evidient that dinner is the primary source of two of these nutrients, sodium, and saturated fat, whereas the snack consumption accounts for vast majority of suger intake.Both morning and afternoon meal contain low amount of these three type of the nutrients.

Regarding sodium intake ,dinner contributes the highest propotion of at 43%, followed by the lunch with 29%. Both snack and breakfast contain 14% each. For saturated fat similar pattern observed for dinner it is 37% .Lunch contributes for 26%. Breakfast accounts for 16% and snacks contain 21% of saturated fat.

A markedly different trends exist for added sugar, for dinner it contributes 23%,for lunch it is 19%, for snacks it accounts for 42% which is highest among themand for breakfast it

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium (43%) and saturated fat (37%), while snacks account for the most added sugar (42%). Several comparisons are also correct, including sodium at 29% for lunch and 14% for both breakfast and snacks. However, the response is incomplete: the final sentence breaks off at “for breakfast it”, so the breakfast figure for added sugar is not reported, and the chart is not fully summarised. The overview also says morning and afternoon meals contain low amounts of all three nutrients, which is too broad because lunch contributes 29% of sodium. The response is 147 words, below the 150-word minimum. Complete the final comparison and make the overview more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and phrases such as “Regarding sodium intake” help signal a shift. However, progression is weakened by the unfinished final sentence, which leaves the last chart category incomplete. Some linking is also awkward or repetitive: “For saturated fat similar pattern observed” does not clearly connect the comparison to the previous sentence, and the overview’s “Both morning and afternoon meal” is unclear in this context. Use complete, clearly separated paragraphs and consistent transitions, and ensure each nutrient’s figures are presented in a finished comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “average percentages”, “contributes”, “accounts for” and “intake”, and you attempt to vary how the figures are described. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “evidient”, “suger”, “propotion” and “them”. Some expressions are also imprecise or unnatural, such as “vast majority” for a 42% share and “primary source” when describing proportions in meals. “Both morning and afternoon meal” is not a clear way to refer to breakfast and lunch. These issues do not prevent the main comparisons from being understood, but they reduce precision. Check spelling carefully and choose neutral terms such as “largest share” and “accounts for” when reporting chart data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “Overall, it is evident that dinner is the primary source … whereas the snack consumption accounts for …”. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and several sentences contain faulty structures or punctuation. For example, “For saturated fat similar pattern observed for dinner it is 37%” lacks a clear verb and joins ideas without suitable punctuation. “Both morning and afternoon meal contain” has problems with number agreement, while “followed by the lunch with 29%” uses an unnecessary article and an awkward construction. The final sentence is incomplete. Practise forming complete clauses, checking singular and plural agreement, and separating comparisons with full stops or appropriate linking words.

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