Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-12

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 Pie chart shows the percentages of sodium, saturated fats and sugars in daily meals consumed by people in USA at different time slots in a day.

Overall the the mineral and fat average consumption takes a big proportion at dinner and lunch whereas the breakfast has less quantity. Added sugar quantity is more in snacks time.

Firstly the taking quantity of sodium and fats illustrates the bigger amount at dinner and lunch by adding their percentages altogether of 72% for mineral and 63% . On the other hand breakfast and snacks has less quantity of them for sodium which is 14% in both time and 21% and16% for that time respectively.

secondly the sugar amount is way more higher in snacks

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and give a broad overview: sodium and saturated fat are highest at dinner, while added sugar peaks in snacks. Some figures are also reported accurately, including the combined dinner-and-lunch shares of 72% for sodium and 63% for saturated fat. However, the account is only partial: the final point about sugar is unfinished, and the breakfast and snack comparisons are unclear or incomplete. The phrase “breakfast and snacks has less quantity” does not distinguish the nutrients, and the 21% and 16% figures are not clearly assigned. The response is also 28 words below the required minimum. To develop the report, include the key figures for all three nutrients and complete the comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic structure, with an opening, an overview, and two sections introduced by “Firstly” and “secondly.” This helps the reader recognise the intended sequence. However, progression is limited because the second section ends abruptly after “the sugar amount is way more higher in snacks,” without reporting the other meal figures or completing the comparison. The first detail sentence also combines several values in a way that makes their references difficult to follow, particularly “21% and16% for that time respectively.” Use separate, clearly organised sentences for sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar, and connect each comparison explicitly to its meal. This would make the information easier to follow and reduce reliance on basic sequencing words.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentages,” “sodium,” “saturated fats,” and “added sugar,” so the topic is generally identifiable. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing chart data. “Mineral” is not an accurate substitute for sodium, while “taking quantity,” “big proportion,” and “sugar amount” are awkward or vague. “Way more higher” is also an unsuitable comparative expression. Aim for precise terms such as “proportion,” “accounted for,” and “highest share,” and use the nutrient names consistently. More accurate collocations would help you describe the figures clearly without relying on repeated general words such as “quantity” and “amount.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer comparisons, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently enough to make some relationships difficult to understand. For example, “Overall the the” repeats an article, and “breakfast and snacks has” has a subject–verb agreement error. The sentence beginning “Firstly the taking quantity” lacks a clear grammatical structure, while “21% and16% for that time respectively” is an incomplete phrase. The final sentence is also unfinished as a comparison. Practise building complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement, articles, and punctuation. For instance, state which nutrient each percentage refers to in a full sentence rather than grouping figures in a fragment.

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