Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-05

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 4.5)

The given pie chart elucedates the information about the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nuterients. The chart compares different categories and presents the data in numbers of percentages.

overall, it is clear that there are some noticeable diffrence between the categories shown in the chart. In addition, sodium , saturated fat and sugar have different persentages in meals.

First of all, according to the chart sodium present in breakfast 14 percent , 43 percent in dinner 29 percent in lunch and 14 percent in snacks.

second, according to the chart saturated fat 16 present in breakfast, 37 present in dinner , 26 present in lunch and 22 present in snaks .

third according to the chart sugar present in breakfast

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the three nutrients and report several figures accurately, including sodium at 14% for breakfast and 43% for dinner, and saturated fat at 16% for breakfast and 37% for dinner. However, the response is incomplete: the added-sugar section stops after “sugar present in breakfast,” so its meal figures and the important contrast—snacks are highest at 42%—are missing. The overview is also too general (“different percentages”) and does not summarise the main patterns, such as dinner leading for sodium and saturated fat while snacks lead for added sugar. The saturated-fat snack figure is given as 22%, rather than 21%. The response is 114 words, below the 150-word minimum, which further limits coverage. Include a clear overview and report the key comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic sequence: an introduction, a brief overview, and then details introduced with “First of all,” “second,” and “third.” These markers help the reader recognise that you are moving between nutrients. However, the response does not develop into a complete, logically balanced report: the final point is unfinished, and there is no concluding comparison across the meals. The repeated “according to the chart” makes the progression mechanical, while the overview does not prepare the reader for the specific figures that follow. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs for the overview and grouped details, and connect related comparisons—for example, dinner’s high sodium and saturated-fat shares—rather than listing each nutrient in the same formula.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary such as “pie chart,” “percentages,” “categories,” “sodium,” and “saturated fat,” so the topic is generally identifiable. However, the range is limited and some word choices or forms are inaccurate: “elucedates” is not the appropriate verb here, “present” is used where “accounts for” or “is” is needed, and “numbers of percentages” is unnatural. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “nuterients,” “diffrence,” “persentages,” and “snaks.” These errors reduce precision and make the report less fluent, even though the intended subject is usually clear. Practise accurate spelling of chart vocabulary and use standard reporting phrases such as “accounts for,” “proportion,” and “share.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts simple reporting sentences and some sequencing, but grammatical control is inconsistent and sentence structures are mostly basic. Several clauses omit necessary verbs or articles, as in “sodium present in breakfast 14 percent,” and the figures are not joined into complete, well-punctuated sentences. The opening also has awkward spacing and punctuation, while the final sentence is incomplete: “sugar present in breakfast.” These problems make some relationships between the meal and percentage unclear. Build complete sentences with a subject and verb—for example, “Sodium accounts for 14% of breakfast”—and use commas consistently when listing figures. Vary the sentence patterns by comparing two meals in one accurate sentence.

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