Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-31

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 information about the average proportion of sodium, saturated fat and added suger consumed in four types of typical meals in the USA.

Overall, dinner represents the highest proportion of sodium and saturated fat while snake shows the highest percentage of added suger. BY contrast, breakfast shows the lowest fegure in all sectors.

The proportion sodium consumption, dinner rank first with 43%, following by lunch at 29%. The snake and breakfast represent same fegure which is only 14%.

In term of seturated fat, around 37% fat are consumed in the dinner. The lunch and snack represent at 26% and 21% respectively. there are only 16% saturated fat comsume in the breakfast.

Around 42% added sugar are comsumed by the snack, accounts for dinner at 23%. Finally, in the lunch around 19% added sugar consume while only 16% added suger is consumed in the breakfast on average.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main contrasts accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. You also report the key figures for all four meal types, and the overview gives the reader a useful summary. This covers the task well, with the accurate comparisons supporting the main features. However, the overview says breakfast is lowest “in all sectors,” which is not true for added sugar: breakfast is 16%, below lunch and dinner but not snacks, and it ties with breakfast for saturated fat only? In fact, breakfast is the lowest for saturated fat, while it is also the lowest for sodium jointly with snacks. Clarify these distinctions rather than making a broad claim. More precise comparisons across the three charts would make the report more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs covering sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. This makes the information easy to locate, and transitions such as “Overall,” “By contrast” and “Finally” help signal the stages of the report. Some linking is mechanical, however, and the repeated pattern of listing meal figures gives the body paragraphs a somewhat formulaic feel. The overview’s claim that breakfast is lowest “in all sectors” also weakens the progression because it does not accurately prepare the reader for the data that follow. Use clearer links between comparisons and vary the sentence patterns so that related figures are grouped more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “highest percentage,” “consumed” and “represent,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range and control are limited by repeated wording and several noticeable spelling or word-choice errors: “suger,” “snake,” “fegure,” “seturated” and “comsumed.” “Snake” is especially confusing where you mean “snack.” Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “the proportion sodium consumption” and “accounts for dinner.” Aim for accurate, conventional reporting expressions and check spelling carefully. For example, use “the proportion of sodium consumed” and “followed by dinner at 23%” to express the comparisons more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, and the opening sentence communicates the chart topic clearly. However, grammatical control is uneven, with errors in sentence structure, agreement and articles. For example, “The proportion sodium consumption, dinner rank first” is missing grammatical links and has an incorrect verb form; “around 37% fat are consumed” has faulty agreement and phrasing; and “in the lunch around 19% added sugar consume” lacks a correctly formed passive verb. Capitalisation after full stops is also inconsistent, as in “there are only 16%.” Practise complete comparison sentences with accurate subjects and verbs, such as “Dinner accounts for 43% of sodium consumption,” and proofread punctuation and sentence boundaries.

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