Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-28

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 charts illustrate the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.

Overall, a large amount of nutrients are often consumed at dinner then lunch and at snack time while the least amount of nutrients are consumed at breakfast all over USA.

In USA mostly food is consumed in four times which includes breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner. There are three different types of nutrients mentioned which are Sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. In terms of consumption, breakfast lies at the bottom with almost 14% in sodium, 16% in saturated fat and added sugar in consumption while snacks contain 14% of sodium, 21% of saturated fat and almost 42% of added sugar.

Additionally, lunch consists of noticeable percent of nutrients such as sodium and satured fats contain more than 25% while added sugar is approximately at 20% in a meal. On the other hand dinner covers the major margin in terms of nutrients percent with sodium more than 40% and dinner with little less than 40% while added sugar has the part of almost 25% in a meal.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern that dinner accounts for the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks contribute the most added sugar. Most figures are reported accurately: for example, you give breakfast sodium as 14%, snack sugar as about 42%, and dinner sodium as over 40%. However, the overview is too broad when it says nutrients are generally highest at dinner and lowest at breakfast: added sugar peaks at snack time, and breakfast is not the lowest for every nutrient. Some comparisons are also imprecise, such as describing dinner saturated fat only as “little less than 40%” and omitting its exact 37% share. A clearer overview and more precise comparisons across all three nutrients would make the key features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about breakfast and snacks, then lunch and dinner. This helps the reader follow the broad categories being compared. However, progression is not always clear: the overview groups dinner, lunch and snacks together without explaining the different pattern for added sugar, and the final sentence repeats “dinner” in a confusing way (“dinner with little less than 40%”). Linking phrases such as “Additionally” and “On the other hand” are present, but the relationships they signal are not always precise. Organise the body by nutrient or by meal, and use clearer comparisons and references so each sentence builds on the previous one.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “average percentages,” “consumption,” “consists of,” and “approximately,” and the reader can generally understand the comparisons. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for describing proportions. “A large amount of nutrients” is not a natural way to refer to percentages, while “covers the major margin” does not clearly convey that dinner has the largest share. There is also a spelling error in “satured.” Repeated use of “nutrients” and “consumed” limits variety, and phrases such as “in a meal” add little precision. Use standard terms such as “share,” “proportion,” and “account for,” and check spelling and collocations to make the data description more exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including the overview and the sentence beginning “while snacks contain…”. The main meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions reduce clarity. For example, “a large amount of nutrients are” has a mismatch between the singular “amount” and plural verb, and “all over USA” is missing an article. In “dinner with little less than 40%,” the sentence structure is incomplete, making the comparison difficult to follow. The final sentence also joins several comparisons without a clear grammatical structure. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, articles, and complete comparative clauses; separating complex data statements into shorter sentences would help maintain control.

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