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 namely sodium, saturated fat and sugar, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.
overall, large proportion of sodium and sayurated fat is used in dinner. in addition, high amount of sugar is added in snacks. in stark contrast, a minimum percentage of sodium, saturated fat and sugar is used in breakfast.
looking closely at demographs, sodium is accounted for 43 in dinner. this figure is slighty decline to 37 percent for saturated fat. furthermore, the second catagorie that have sodium and saturated fat is lunch. in addition, snack and breakfast have minimum amount of nutrients.
turning to sugar, a large quatity of sugar is added in snack, stood at 42 percent. dinner have 23 percent sugar. the other two medium have smallest percentage, accounted for 16 percent for breakfast and 19 percent for lunch.
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 include several relevant figures. However, some comparisons are inaccurate or too vague: breakfast is not the minimum for every nutrient, since snacks have the lowest sodium share jointly with breakfast, and lunch has the lowest added-sugar share. The statement that breakfast, snacks and lunch have a “minimum amount” also obscures the differences. The response is under the required 150 words, at 130 words, which limits the detail and coverage. To strengthen the report, compare all four meals accurately for each nutrient and give a clearer overview of the contrasting patterns.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic structure, moving from an introduction and overview to sodium and saturated fat, then added sugar. Paragraph breaks and transitions such as “turning to sugar” help the reader follow the broad topic. However, progression within the middle paragraph is unclear: “the second catagorie that have sodium and saturated fat is lunch” does not clearly explain the comparison, and “snack and breakfast have minimum amount” groups meals without specifying which nutrient each figure refers to. Some linking phrases, including “in addition” and “furthermore,” are repeated or do not show a precise relationship. Organise the details by meal or nutrient and use explicit comparisons so each sentence builds clearly on the previous one.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “average percentages,” “stark contrast,” and “accounted for,” and the reader can generally identify the nutrients and meals being discussed. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “sugar is added in snacks” and “dinner have 23 percent sugar.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “sayurated,” “slighty,” “catagorie,” and “quatity,” which reduce precision. Use standard chart-reporting phrases such as “accounted for,” “stood at,” and “was the highest/lowest share,” while checking spelling and choosing terms that describe the data rather than implying ingredients are added to meals.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response uses mostly short, simple statements, with a few attempts to link ideas through clauses and transitions. However, frequent errors in sentence structure and agreement make some sentences awkward or unclear. For example, “overall, large proportion … is used” needs an article and a more suitable verb structure, while “dinner have 23 percent sugar” has subject–verb disagreement. The phrase “the other two medium have smallest percentage” also has problems with number, article use and sentence construction. Capitalisation after full stops is inconsistent, as in “overall.” Practise accurate comparative sentences, for example, “Dinner accounted for 43% of sodium, compared with 29% at lunch,” and check articles, agreement and punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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