Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-27

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 charts depict the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, including sodium, saturated fat, added sugar, all of these may be unhealthy if eaten too much.

Overall, the most people use sodium, and saturated fat through their dinner, while in terms of added sugar, the highest consumption accounted by snacks. The least consumption of all these nutrients in their breakfast meal.

43% of people consumed sodium in their dinner, while the lunch added about nearly three-tenth. Both meals breakfast and snacks each accounted for 14%.

Approximately one-third of population added saturated fat in their dinner, while the least were added in the breakfast, at 16%. Lunch and snacks acquired by 26% and 21% respectively.

Most people consumed added sugar through their snacks, represented as 42%. In breakfast, only 16% people took sugar. 19% of people chose in their lunch, whereas nearly one-quarter of population took in their dinner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all three nutrients and identifies the main features, such as the high consumption of sodium and saturated fat at dinner and added sugar in snacks. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, cohesive overview that synthesizes the data effectively. While the key features are highlighted, the comparison between the categories could be more analytical rather than just listing percentages. The report meets the requirements of the task, but the lack of a more sophisticated summary of trends prevents it from reaching a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and mechanical (e.g., 'while', 'in terms of', 'each accounted for'). The progression of ideas is logical, but the transitions between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow. Referencing is generally clear, but the structure of some sentences makes the logical connection between the data points feel slightly disjointed. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion needs more variety and sophistication.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. There are several awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'the most people use sodium' (should be 'consume') and 'lunch added about nearly three-tenth' (should be 'accounted for'). The phrase 'acquired by' is also used incorrectly in the context of percentages. While the meaning is generally clear, the student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles with accurate word choice when describing statistical data. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise verbs and nouns related to data reporting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the most people use' (incorrect article/verb usage), 'the lunch added about nearly three-tenth' (incorrect preposition and noun form), and '19% of people chose in their lunch' (missing object). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure is often repetitive. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable and suggest a lack of control over more complex grammatical forms.

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.