Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-29
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 three pie-charts illustrate the average percentage of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in breakfast, dinner, lunch and snacks in the USA.
Overall, people in the US consume sodium and saturated mostly in dinner whereas the consumption of sugar is highest while eating snacks.
The detailed analysis of graphs illustrate almost half(43%) of the sodium is consumed in dinner alongside lunch which consume a little less than one-third(29%) of the sodium intake. Finally, snacks and breakfast comes last both covering 14% of the total percentage.
Similarly, as for saturated fat, a little over than one-third(37%) is consumed in dinner alongside lunch which takes up almost a quarter(26%) of the total percentage. Finally, snacks and breakfast comes last covering 21% and 16% of the sodium intake.
Furthermore, 42% of the total added sugar is consumed while eating snacks after which a little less than a quarter(23%) is eaten in dinner and finally, added sugar is consumed at least in breakfast and lunch
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features of the three charts. You have successfully highlighted the key trends, such as the high consumption of sodium and saturated fat at dinner and the peak of added sugar during snacks. However, the analysis is slightly repetitive in its structure, and the final sentence is incomplete, as it mentions breakfast and lunch but fails to provide the specific data points for them. To reach a higher band, ensure all data points mentioned in the prompt are fully represented and avoid vague phrasing like 'at least in breakfast and lunch'.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on each nutrient. Cohesive devices such as 'Similarly', 'Furthermore', and 'Finally' are used to guide the reader. However, the referencing is occasionally imprecise; for instance, in the second body paragraph, you refer to 'the sodium intake' when you are actually discussing saturated fat. This creates a minor confusion for the reader. Improving the precision of your referencing and ensuring that transitions between sentences are more varied would enhance the flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrate', 'consumption', and 'intake'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, particularly the reliance on 'consumed' and 'percentage'. There are also some minor collocation issues, such as 'consume a little less than one-third' (it is more natural to say 'accounts for' or 'comprises'). To improve, try to incorporate more varied verbs and nouns to describe statistical data, such as 'constitutes', 'represents', or 'makes up', and ensure that your word choices are precise in relation to the data being described.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. For example, 'snacks and breakfast comes last' should be 'come last' (subject-verb agreement). Additionally, there are punctuation errors, such as missing spaces after parentheses (e.g., 'half(43%)'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'a little over than one-third', which should be 'a little over one-third'. Increasing the accuracy of your sentence construction and paying closer attention to subject-verb agreement will help you achieve a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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