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 charts illustrate the average proportion of nutrients such as sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals in the USA.
From an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that sodium and saturated fat constitute the highest in dinner, and added sugar is included in snacks the most.
According to the charts, the three nutrients included in breakfast is almost similar, which sodium has 14% and the other two have both 16% each. Similarly, lunch contitute about similar percentages with 29% for sodium, 26% for saturated fat and 19% for added sugar.
As for the remainings, dinner makes up almost half proportion of sodium with, consisting the highest percentage of 43%, and saturated fat containing 37%, while only 23% for added sugar. Lastly, snacks consist 14% and 21% for the sodium and saturated fat, respectively, but contained 42% in sugar which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the main pattern: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks account for the most added sugar. You also report the figures for all four meal types, and the values given match the chart. However, the overview is brief, and some comparisons are only listed rather than explained; for example, breakfast and lunch are described as “almost similar” without clarifying that the nutrient shares differ more at lunch. The response is also below the required 150 words: it contains 133 words, with 17 words copied from the prompt excluded from the count. Develop the key contrasts more fully and add a concise comparison of the highest and lowest meal shares to make the summary more complete.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs covering breakfast/lunch and dinner/snacks. This makes the information easy to follow, and transitions such as “According to the charts,” “As for,” and “Lastly” help signal movement between points. However, the progression within the detail paragraphs is somewhat list-like, and some linking is awkward: “Similarly” does not clearly explain the relationship between the breakfast and lunch figures. The final sentence also combines the sodium and saturated-fat snack figures with the sugar comparison in a long structure. Grouping the data more deliberately—for example, comparing meal patterns across nutrients—would make cohesion less mechanical and the comparisons clearer.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “constitute,” “percentage,” and “makes up,” and the reader can generally understand the comparisons. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “the three nutrients included in breakfast,” “lunch contitute,” and “the remainings.” “Constitute the highest in dinner” is also not a natural way to describe the largest shares. There is a spelling error in “contitute,” and “contained 42% in sugar” is imprecise. Use a consistent set of accurate expressions such as “account for,” “share,” and “the highest proportion,” and check spelling and collocations when revising.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “while” and an overview sentence beginning “From an overall perspective.” However, errors are frequent, and some sentence structures are faulty. For example, “the three nutrients … is almost similar” has a subject–verb agreement problem and an unclear construction; “which sodium has 14%” does not form a correct clause; and “dinner makes up almost half proportion of sodium with, consisting…” is grammatically incomplete and poorly punctuated. The final sentence also shifts from “consist” to “contained” without a clear reason. Practise building complete clauses with accurate agreement, and use shorter sentences when a longer structure becomes difficult to control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.