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 pie charts illustrate the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.
Overall, it is clear that the much sodiam in dinner, the saturated fat also much in dinner. However, the high portion portion of added sugar in snack.
Regarding to sodium chart, the 14% sodium is use in snack and 14% sodium is in breakfast. In the lunch the amount of sodium is 29%. The more sodium use in dinner 43%.Turning to, the chart of saturated fat. In the chart snacks cover 21% saturated fat while 16% use in breakfast. the lunch gain 26% that nutrient. In dinner 37% saturated fat use.In the third pie chart, the higher portion of snack there 42% aded sugar use and the low suger portion is breakfast at 16%. The dinner cover the 23% sugar. In the lunch 19% sugar use.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the main pattern that dinner accounts for the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar, and you report most figures accurately. For example, you give dinner as 43% for sodium and 37% for saturated fat, and snacks as 42% for added sugar. However, the overview is unclear and does not summarise the full contrast between meal types; breakfast is generally low, while lunch is intermediate. Some descriptions are also difficult to interpret, such as “the much sodiam in dinner.” The response is 130 words, below the required 150, so the report is under-length and its key features are not sufficiently developed. Add a clearer overview and comparisons rather than only listing figures.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate discussion of the three nutrients. This gives the reader a general route through the information, and phrases such as “Regarding to sodium” and “In the third pie chart” signal changes in focus. However, progression within the body is mostly a sequence of figures, with limited comparison across nutrients or meals. Several transitions are awkward or incomplete, including “Turning to, the chart of saturated fat” and the run-together sentence “43%.Turning to”. The overview also does not connect smoothly to the detailed paragraphs. Use complete transition phrases, separate sentences clearly, and group related comparisons to make the progression more coherent.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “average percentages,” “portion,” “saturated fat,” and “added sugar,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive, which sometimes makes the meaning unclear. Examples include “the much sodiam,” “the lunch gain 26%,” and “the higher portion of snack there 42%.” There are also spelling errors such as “sodiam,” “aded,” and “suger.” Aim for precise reporting language and check spelling carefully; terms such as “accounted for,” “share,” and “highest proportion” would help you describe the data more naturally and accurately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
Most of the response uses short, simple statements, and the reader can identify many of the intended figures. However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and frequent errors in sentence formation make several statements difficult to understand. For instance, “the much sodiam in dinner” lacks a clear grammatical structure, while “The more sodium use in dinner 43%” is missing a correctly formed verb phrase. Articles and prepositions are also problematic in “In the lunch” and “Regarding to sodium chart.” Punctuation is inconsistent, with sentences joined directly after figures. Practise complete subject–verb sentences, for example, “Dinner accounts for 43% of sodium,” and use consistent sentence boundaries.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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