Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 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.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

the three pie charts illustrates the average percentages of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in typical meals consumed in the USA

overall it can be seen that, the consumption of sodium was more in the dinner than other meals.followed by saturated fat which was highly consumed in dinner. however, added sugars was taken more in snacks time.

looking in the details, the consumption of sodium was 43% in dinner and 29% in lunch. the percentage of sodium consumed by usa residents in breakfast and snacks was same which is 14%.apartfrom that, saturated food was consuming more by 37% at dinner time, the least consumption was in breakfast around 16%. in afternoon or evening the consumption of saturated fat was 26% and 21%.

on the other hand, added sugar was consumed at high level during snacks which was about 42% and in dinner 23%. the less consumption is in lunch or breakfast time

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main patterns accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. The figures you report for sodium and saturated fat match the chart, and you include relevant comparisons across meals. However, the overview is partly repetitive and does not clearly summarise the contrasting pattern for added sugar alongside the other nutrients. The final sentence says breakfast and lunch have the least added sugar but gives neither figures nor a clear comparison; breakfast is 16% and lunch is 19%, so breakfast is the lowest. A more complete overview and precise reporting of this final comparison would make the key features clearer and more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and detail paragraphs that move from sodium and saturated fat to added sugar. This gives the information a coherent overall arrangement. You also use basic linking expressions such as “overall,” “apart from that,” and “on the other hand” to signal shifts. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, “followed by saturated fat” does not clearly explain how the nutrients are being compared, and “in afternoon or evening” is an imprecise transition between meal categories. The overview also repeats the dinner pattern rather than setting out all the main contrasts. Use clearer topic sentences and link each comparison explicitly to its meal.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the chart’s subject, including “sodium,” “saturated fat,” “added sugar,” “percentage,” and “consumption.” Some variation, such as “taken” and “consumed,” also helps avoid complete repetition. However, several word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise: “saturated food was consuming more,” “snacks time,” and “the less consumption” make the description less fluent. “Highly consumed” is also not a natural way to describe a percentage in a chart. Aim for standard reporting phrases such as “accounted for,” “was highest in,” and “the lowest proportion.” Check word forms and spelling, including “apart from,” to make your meaning more polished.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, and the main comparisons are generally understandable. However, errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and punctuation occur across the response. For example, “the three pie charts illustrates” should use a plural verb, while “added sugars was” has a plural subject with a singular verb. In “saturated food was consuming more,” the verb construction is faulty; a passive form such as “was consumed” would be appropriate. Several sentences also run together without full stops, as in the overview and the sodium comparison. These errors sometimes make the reader pause, although the intended information is usually recoverable. Practise accurate sentence boundaries and check subject–verb agreement and passive forms.

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