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 given pie charts illustrates the unhealthy nutrients consumed in the diet of three different types.

Viewing from the overall perspective, it is clearly evident that sodium is in major quantity in the dinner items and have lesser amount in snacks and breakfast which is same. Furthermore, All these three nutrients are almost in same quantity in breakfast.

Generally, snacks and dinner alone are covering almost half of the pie chart in the sodium and saturated fats category which are 43% and 37%, respectively. However, In sugar pie chart, snacks are covering almost half of the pie chart which is 43% and breakfast, lunch and dinner collectively contain the reamaining 57%.

Looking at the details, satured fats are in the most proportion in the dinner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify some important patterns, including dinner as the largest source of sodium and saturated fat, and snacks as the largest source of added sugar. However, the report is only partial: it gives few comparisons across all four meals and does not accurately state the snack share of added sugar, which is 42%, not 43%. The claim that breakfast, lunch and dinner together make up the remaining 57% is correct, but the overview that all three nutrients are “almost in same quantity in breakfast” is vague and overlooks that breakfast is 14% for sodium and 16% for each of the other nutrients. The response is also 25 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail provided. Add more accurate comparisons, especially lunch and breakfast figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs with supporting details. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “However,” and “Looking at the details” help signal movement between points. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph contains only one brief statement and repeats the dinner point rather than adding a new comparison. The relationship in “snacks and breakfast which is same” is also unclear, and the overview and detail paragraphs do not consistently distinguish the three nutrients. Group the information more systematically—for example, compare meal patterns for each nutrient—and use clear references so readers can follow which percentages belong to which chart.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “collectively,” and “category,” and the reader can generally understand the topic. However, the range is limited and several expressions are unnatural or imprecise, such as “in major quantity,” “covering almost half of the pie chart,” and “three different types” (which does not clearly identify the nutrients). There are also spelling errors, including “satured” and “reamaining,” and “sugar pie chart” is less precise than “added-sugar chart.” Aim for accurate collocations used in data reporting, such as “accounted for” or “made up,” and name the nutrient and meal explicitly. This would make comparisons clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a few complex sentence forms, including “which are 43% and 37%, respectively” and the contrast introduced by “However.” Most sentences remain simple, though, and errors in agreement and sentence construction recur. For example, “The given pie charts illustrates” has a plural subject with a singular verb, while “sodium … and have lesser amount” shifts awkwardly from a singular subject to a plural verb. “All these three nutrients are almost in same quantity” also needs an article before “same quantity.” Capitalisation after commas is inconsistent, as in “Furthermore, All” and “However, In.” Practise building accurate comparisons with plural and singular subjects, and check articles and punctuation when editing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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