Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-01

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 chart below illustrates the percentage of specific meals having three types of nutrients and their side-effects on the health if eaten too much.

Overall,the three types of nutrients named sodium,saturated fat and added sugar have varied amount of consumption which have different percentages.

However the Sodium have highest concentration in dinner having 43 percent diet containing sodium whereas the other breakfast,lunch and snack have lowest percentage of this nutrient.

On the other hand the Saturated fat have also the highest intake in dinner while the other three have some amount of intake.Thirdly,the Added Sugar also follows the same trend having highest consumption of snacks about 42 percent following the breakfast,lunch,dinner which showes slightly low consumption.

The Sodium and Saturated fat have highest intake in dinner.In contrast the third nutrient have opposite trend having 42 percent of snacks unlikely to the others two.People in USA consumed more nutrients in dinner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern accurately: sodium and saturated fat peak at dinner (43% and 37%), while added sugar is highest in snacks (42%). This gives the reader a relevant overview and addresses the central comparisons. However, some features are only broadly described: breakfast, lunch and snacks for sodium are called the “lowest” without reporting that lunch is 29%, and the saturated-fat figures are not compared in detail. The claim that people “consumed more nutrients in dinner” is too general, since added sugar peaks in snacks and the chart shows percentages by meal, not total nutrient consumption. To strengthen the report, include a few more precise comparisons, such as dinner’s 43% sodium versus 14% at breakfast and snacks, and avoid conclusions beyond the data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an identifiable overall structure, beginning with an introduction and overview before discussing the three nutrients and ending with a comparison. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand,” “Thirdly,” and “In contrast” help signal relationships. However, progression is weakened by repetition: the dinner peaks for sodium and saturated fat are stated in the body and then repeated in the final sentence. The overview also runs directly into the details, and several ideas are crowded into long sentences, making comparisons less clear. Organise the report into a concise overview followed by grouped details, and use references such as “the former” and “the latter” only when their meaning is unmistakable. This would make the information easier to follow without relying on repeated transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “sodium,” “saturated fat,” “added sugar,” “percentage,” and “intake,” so the subject is generally clear. There is also some attempt to vary wording with “consumption” and “concentration.” However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing chart data: “highest concentration,” “43 percent diet containing sodium,” and “some amount of intake” do not express the proportions clearly. “Side-effects on the health” is not needed to describe what the chart presents, and “unlikely to the others two” obscures the intended contrast. Spelling and word-form slips such as “showes” also reduce accuracy. Prefer direct collocations such as “accounted for,” “the proportion of,” and “was highest in” to report figures precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including contrast clauses beginning “On the other hand” and “In contrast.” The main comparisons can usually be understood, but grammatical control is uneven. Subject–verb agreement is problematic in “the Sodium have” and “the Saturated fat have,” while “the other breakfast, lunch and snack have lowest percentage” has an unclear structure and is missing an article before “lowest percentage.” Some sentences also join several ideas without clear punctuation, as in the sentence beginning “Thirdly.” Capitalisation and spacing after commas and full stops are inconsistent. Build accuracy with straightforward patterns such as “Sodium accounted for 43% at dinner” and “The figure for added sugar was highest in snacks,” then add more complex comparisons once these forms are secure.

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