Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-03

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 provided pie charts depict data regarding the average proportions of three different types of nutrient in typical meals,all of which may be unhealthy if is consume excessively.

Overall, it is evident that there are four different categories of meals time.In sodium and saturated fat, dinner had the largest proportion, while breakfast constituted the smallest share in added sugar.

The pie charts showed that people consume sodium in dinner, and it was 43%.The ratio of snacks and breakfast was same 14%. Breakfast represented 16%,which was the lowest proportion of Saturated fat.

Added sugar was increased to use in snacks.It accounted for 43%.However, lunch contained the minimum share of sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the charts’ subject and report several relevant figures, including dinner’s 43% share of sodium and the equal 14% shares for breakfast and snacks. You also note that snacks account for the largest proportion of added sugar. However, the response only partially summarises the data: it omits the main saturated-fat comparison beyond breakfast, and says lunch has the minimum share of sugar, although breakfast is lower at 16% compared with lunch’s 19%. The overview is also unclear because “breakfast constituted the smallest share in added sugar” is not accurate. The response is 109 words, below the required 150, which limits how fully you can select and compare the key features. Include a clear overview and compare all three nutrients accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and short paragraphs reporting details. This gives the reader some sense of the task’s organisation, and transitions such as “Overall” and “However” show an attempt to connect ideas. However, progression is limited because the details are presented as isolated statements rather than organised comparisons across the three nutrients. The sentence “The pie charts showed that people consume sodium in dinner” does not connect smoothly to the following figures, and the final paragraph ends without a concluding comparison. Some punctuation spacing also makes the flow less clear. Group the information by meal or nutrient, use linking phrases to show contrasts, and ensure each paragraph develops one clear point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “proportions,” “constituted,” “accounted for,” and “share,” which helps communicate the chart topic. However, the range is limited and several expressions are awkward or imprecise. “People consume sodium in dinner” is not a natural way to describe a percentage, while “Added sugar was increased to use in snacks” does not clearly express that snacks contain the largest share. Repetition of “proportion” and “share” also restricts variety. Choose precise chart language such as “the proportion of sodium consumed at dinner” and “snacks accounted for the largest share of added sugar.” Check collocations and word forms so that your vocabulary communicates comparisons clearly and naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a few complex structures, such as “all of which may be unhealthy if is consume excessively,” and use comparative clauses in the overview. However, the range is limited, and errors in sentence construction and verb forms are frequent enough to make some statements difficult to follow. For example, “if is consume excessively” is missing a clear subject and has an incorrect verb form; “Added sugar was increased to use in snacks” is also structurally faulty. There are further issues with sentence boundaries and spacing, as in “meals,all” and “14%.The.” Practise accurate simple sentences first, then add controlled complex clauses. For example: “Snacks accounted for 42% of added sugar, the highest figure among the four meals.”

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