Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-29
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 bar chart illustrates the average percentile of three nutrients (sodium, saturated fat, added sugar) in a meal in they USA and they can be unhealthy if it cosumes in large amount.
overall, it can be seen that these three nutrients more consumes in dinner and snacks while, in breakfast and lunch it is less added.
Looking at the details, sodium consumes about 43% in dinner whereas; in snack and break fast it is same at 14% and in lunch it takes around 30%. The staturated fat in dinner is 37% and in snack and lunch it is about 21% and 26% respectively and for breakfast it is about 16%.
By contrast, added sugar is more in snacks as comapred to sodium and saturated fat it is about 42% and in breakfast it is same as saturated fat which is 16%. In lunch and dinner it about 19% and 21% respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You identify the three nutrients and report several key figures accurately, including sodium at 43% for dinner and added sugar at 42% for snacks. You also make relevant comparisons, such as breakfast having the same share of sodium across breakfast and snacks, and added sugar matching saturated fat at breakfast. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: the nutrients are not all highest in dinner and snacks, since added sugar peaks at snacks while sodium and saturated fat peak at dinner. There is also a data error: dinner added sugar is 23%, not 21%. To strengthen the response, state the main contrasts clearly in the overview and check each figure against the chart.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, and it generally moves from sodium and saturated fat to added sugar. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, the overview does not clearly distinguish the different patterns, and the transition “By contrast” does not fully explain what is being contrasted. Some linking is also awkward or mechanical, as in “whereas; in snack and break fast” and “and in lunch it takes around 30%.” Improve progression by grouping the dinner-led nutrients together, then contrasting them with added sugar, and use clear links such as “whereas” or “in comparison” accurately.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “average,” “whereas,” “in contrast,” and “respectively,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range and control are limited, with repeated or inaccurate expressions that sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. For example, “average percentile” is not the right term for these proportions, and “more consumes” and “less added” are unnatural collocations. Spelling errors such as “staturated,” “comapred,” and “break fast” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise reporting language and check spelling: describe the figures as “percentages” or “shares,” and use verbs such as “accounted for” or “was highest.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the reader can usually identify the intended comparisons. However, sentence control is inconsistent, particularly with verb forms, articles and clause construction. In “these three nutrients more consumes in dinner,” the verb pattern is incomplete; “in a meal in they USA” also has faulty article and pronoun use. The sentence beginning “The saturated fat in dinner is 37%” would be clearer as a complete comparison, while “in lunch and dinner it about 19% and 21%” is missing a verb. Punctuation is also unreliable, as shown by “whereas;”. Practise accurate subject–verb patterns and complete clauses before adding complex links.
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