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 chart illustrates the mean proportions of three different nutrients in meals that will cause harm for the US citizens if consumed in large amount.

Overall, the sodium and saturated fat was largely consumed by individuals in dinner followed by lunch, while added sugar had highest percentage when eating snacks followed by dinner.

The US citizen had highest proportion of sodium and saturated fat in their dinner around 43% and 37% followed by lunch where the ratios were 29% and 26%, while the snacks and breakfast had lowest share of sodium about

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main pattern accurately: sodium and saturated fat peak at dinner, while added sugar is highest in snacks. The figures you give for dinner and lunch (43% and 37%; 29% and 26%) also match the chart. However, the response is incomplete: it stops mid-sentence after “lowest share of sodium about” and does not report the remaining comparisons, including the snack and breakfast figures or the distribution of added sugar beyond the overview. At 93 words, it is also substantially below the required 150 words, limiting how fully you can select and report the key features. Develop the overview and include a few more accurate comparisons to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic, sensible structure: an introduction is followed by an overview and then an attempt to give supporting figures. The overview also uses “while” to contrast the pattern for added sugar with the other nutrients. However, the response ends abruptly in the middle of a sentence, so the final paragraph does not complete its point or provide a clear conclusion to the data description. The progression is therefore limited, and the comparison in the overview is not developed with supporting details. Use separate, complete paragraphs for the overview and key comparisons, and connect the figures in a planned sequence—for example, dinner and lunch patterns first, then the contrasting snack result for added sugar.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use several relevant terms for describing charts, including “proportions,” “percentage,” “followed by,” and “share,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There is some variation in how you refer to the data, but a few choices are imprecise or unnatural: “nutrients … will cause harm” suggests the nutrients themselves inevitably cause harm, rather than that excessive intake may be unhealthy, and “ratios” is not the best term for the chart’s percentages. “The US citizen” is also an awkward general reference. Aim for more precise chart language and natural collocations, such as “the proportion of sodium” and “Americans’ intake.” This would make the description clearer and more appropriate to an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple statements and a longer sentence with a contrast, as in “while added sugar had highest percentage when eating snacks.” However, control is uneven, and the final sentence is incomplete, ending with “about” without a figure or completed clause. There are also agreement and article errors: “the sodium and saturated fat was” should use a plural verb, and “had highest percentage” needs an article before “highest.” The phrase “if consumed in large amount” also needs a plural form or a determiner. These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main comparisons, but complete sentences and more consistent control of agreement and articles are needed.

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