Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-04

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 chats illustrate that proportion of three nutrients containts in usa typical meals, like breakfast, lunch, dinnner and snack.

Overall, dinner meal contains highest portion of sodium and saturated fat, whereas snack contains highest percentage of added sugar.

Firstly, dinner contains higher propotion of sodium as well as saturated fat, therefore it is a most unhealthy meal amoung all meals. whereas breakfast is a healthiest meal as compares to other because it has lowest amount of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. Added suger has highest proportion in snack with 42 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main pattern correctly: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. You also note breakfast’s low figures, which is a relevant comparison. However, the report is only 93 words, below the required 150, and this leaves the data very underdeveloped. For example, you do not give the dinner figures (43% and 37%) or compare lunch and snack values for sodium and saturated fat. The claim that dinner is “the most unhealthy meal” goes beyond what the charts establish, since they show only these three nutrients. Include a fuller selection of accurate figures and describe the contrasts without making unsupported health conclusions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic, recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview beginning “Overall,” and a paragraph with supporting details. The overview also helps the reader identify the two main patterns. However, the report ends after a few brief statements, so the information does not develop into a clear, complete progression. “Firstly” does not lead to a corresponding sequence of comparisons, and the repeated use of “whereas” creates an abrupt link between ideas. The sentence beginning “Added sugar…” feels appended rather than integrated with the comparison. Organise the body around the meal patterns or nutrient categories, and use linking phrases to show how each figure relates to the previous one.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “highest percentage,” “contains,” and “lowest amount,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several spelling errors make the writing less controlled: “pie chats,” “containts,” “dinnner,” “propotion,” “amoung,” and “suger.” Some expressions are also imprecise or unnatural, such as “dinner meal” and “as compares to other.” Use standard terms such as “pie charts,” “share,” and “accounted for,” and check spelling carefully. More precise language for comparisons would help you report the figures clearly without relying on broad descriptions such as “higher” and “highest.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and a longer sentence with “whereas,” and the main message is usually understandable. However, the range is limited, and errors recur in sentence construction and punctuation. In the opening, “illustrate that proportion” needs a determiner or a different structure, while “nutrients containts” does not form a correct noun phrase. The sentence “therefore it is a most unhealthy meal” has an incorrect article and makes the clause awkward; the following “whereas” should not begin a new sentence in this construction. Capitalisation is also inconsistent, as in “usa” and the lowercase start after a full stop. Practise accurate comparison structures, articles, and sentence boundaries before attempting longer sentences.

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