Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-13

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 displayed pie chart illustrates the proportion of three types of nutrients in typical meals in USA which can make serious consequences to health if overused.

Overall, it is crystal clear that it is moderate pie chart and in breakfast the percentage of sugar and saturated fat is used in meals is same and the highest used in meal is sodium in dinner.

At a fleeting glance, the amount of sodium used in both snacks and breakfast is same noticed as 14%. Interestingly, the sugar used in snacks is double of saturated fat used in morning seen as 42%.

Probing ahead, the sodium used in lunch is 29% which is highest in lunch whereas sugar is used about 19% and saturated fat is 26%. Surprisingly, the sodium and saturated fat is highest used in dinner noticed as 43% and 37% respectively. The sugar used in dinner is less than snacks seen as 23%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts, identifying key trends such as the high sodium content in dinner and the comparison between snacks and breakfast. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and lacks a clear, professional overview. The description of the data is occasionally inaccurate; for instance, stating that the sugar in snacks is 'double of saturated fat used in morning' is a confusing comparison that does not clearly relate the data points. While the main features are highlighted, the report would benefit from more precise grouping of data to better illustrate the nutritional differences across the four meal types.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally awkward, such as 'Probing ahead' and 'At a fleeting glance', which are not standard academic transitions. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the internal structure of some sentences is disjointed, making the flow feel slightly unnatural. Paragraphing is present, but the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother to improve the overall logical flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. There is some repetition of basic verbs like 'used' and 'seen'. Phrases such as 'make serious consequences to health' are slightly unnatural; 'pose serious health risks' would be more appropriate. The student attempts to use some descriptive language, but the word choice is often imprecise, such as 'moderate pie chart', which does not accurately describe the data presentation. Expanding the range of synonyms for 'increase', 'proportion', and 'consumption' would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage (e.g., 'the percentage of sugar and saturated fat is used in meals is same'). There are also issues with missing articles and awkward phrasing, such as 'the sodium and saturated fat is highest used in dinner'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to demonstrate a lack of control over complex structures, keeping the score in the 5.5 to 6.0 range.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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