Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The pie chart compares the average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed by the residents of USA . four meals are breakfast, dinner, lunch and snacks.

Overall, in dinner people had vast proportions of sodium and satuared fat while snacks carry the highest percentages for added sugar. In lunch people eat good portion of sodium than other meals. furthermore all three nutruients are on average percentages in almost all types of meal.

In dinner, 43% sodium was eaten by the people which was higher than any other meal, compared with saturated fat at 37% was in the 2nd position ,whereas added sugar was accounted for 23%. More than a quarter at 29% was accounted for sodium in lunch. Folllowing this saturated fat was just over quarter at 26% ,in lunch this proportion was dropped steadily.

in breakfast sodium were added at 14% and this was higher at

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern that dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead in added sugar. Several figures are also reported accurately, including dinner’s 43% sodium and 37% saturated fat, and lunch’s 29% sodium and 26% saturated fat. However, the report is only partly developed: it stops during the breakfast comparison and does not give the remaining breakfast or snack figures, despite snacks being a key feature. The claim that lunch has more sodium “than other meals” is inaccurate, since dinner is higher. The overview also says all nutrients are at average percentages in almost all meals, which is unclear and does not identify a meaningful chart pattern. Cover all four meals and make the comparisons precise to strengthen the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an opening, an overview and body paragraphs, and it uses some linking expressions such as “Overall,” “whereas” and “Following this.” These provide a basic structure, but the progression is difficult to follow because the report ends abruptly in the breakfast discussion and leaves snacks unaddressed. Connections between ideas are sometimes unclear: “in lunch this proportion was dropped steadily” does not explain what is being compared, and “furthermore” introduces a vague statement rather than a clear supporting point. The body could be organised more logically by grouping the dinner and lunch figures, then comparing breakfast and snacks, with each paragraph completing its comparisons. Use linking words only where the relationship between the data is clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportions,” “accounted for” and “higher,” and the reader can generally understand which nutrients and meals you mean. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward, such as “snacks carry,” “people eat good portion,” and “sodium was eaten.” Spelling errors—including “satuared,” “nutruients” and “Folllowing”—also reduce precision. Aim for natural reporting language such as “accounted for,” “made up” and “the proportion of,” and use consistent terms for the chart’s percentages. More accurate collocations and careful spelling would make the comparisons clearer and more appropriate for an academic summary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentences, for example the comparison beginning “In dinner, 43% sodium was eaten … compared with saturated fat … whereas added sugar…”. However, control is uneven, and errors sometimes make relationships difficult to follow. Examples include “four meals are breakfast…” without a clear sentence opening, “In dinner” and “in lunch” as sentence patterns, and “in breakfast sodium were added,” where the subject and verb do not agree. Articles and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “at 37% was in the 2nd position ,whereas…”. Practise complete, clearly punctuated sentences with accurate subject–verb agreement and article use. A reliable structure such as “Dinner accounted for 43% of sodium” would help you express the data accurately.

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.