Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-21
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 charts illustrate the average proportion in breakfast, dinner, lunch and snacks of three types of nutrient ( Sodium, saturated fats, added sugar) all of which may be detrimental if eaten too much.
Overall, it is evident that Sodium and Saturated fats are consumed very much in dinner apart from lunch, breakfast and snacks. Furthermore, Sugar showed more consumed by another period of eat in snacks.
On the one hand, the percentage of sodium are consumed in Breakfast, accounted for 14%, followed by dinner, lunch and snacks, by 43%, 29 and 14% respectively.
On the other hand, the consumption of saturated fats and added sugar showed similar trend in breakfast was responsible for 16%. Moreover, the number of saturated fat and sugar which was consumed in snack
illustrate the double proportion from 21% to 42%. Moreover, saturated fat consumed in lunch at 26%, and sugar consumed in lunch at 19%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the charts, identifying key trends such as the high consumption of sodium and saturated fats at dinner. However, the report is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While the data is generally accurate, the comparison between nutrients is occasionally confusing, particularly in the final paragraph where the phrasing 'double proportion from 21% to 42%' is unclear in its reference. The response addresses the prompt but would benefit from a more sophisticated synthesis of the data rather than simply listing figures. The summary of the main trends is present but could be more effectively integrated to highlight the most significant differences between the three nutrients.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes awkward or repetitive. For instance, the transition 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' is used to contrast sections, but the logical flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'Sugar showed more consumed by another period of eat in snacks', which is grammatically confusing and disrupts the flow of information. Improved use of linking words and clearer referencing would enhance the overall coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'another period of eat' and 'consumed very much in dinner'. The word choice is often repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'consumed' and 'proportion'. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary, the lack of collocation awareness—such as saying 'number of saturated fat' instead of 'amount'—limits the score. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoiding repetitive sentence structures.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('the percentage of sodium are consumed') and awkward phrasing ('Sugar showed more consumed by another period of eat'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure in the final paragraph is fragmented and difficult to follow. While the meaning is usually retrievable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from achieving a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage would be beneficial.
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