Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-03

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 illustrated the average percentages in typical meals of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar, and nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.

Overall, the dinner contains the highest sodium percentages in meals as compared to snacks, which also have the highest amount of sugar, and also breakfast consumed the lowest amount of three nutrients in the USA.

In the beginning, the snacks and breakfast remain constant at 14% sodium, while the saturated fat is higher in dinner at 37%, and snacks and lunch are almost up and down, up to 21 to 26%, respectively.

In contrast, the sugar in snacks is much stronger, up to 42%, and much lesser in breakfast 16% and also lunch (19%). Furthermore, 23% sugar is added in dinner, and 29% sodium is in the lunch.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While you have identified some main features, such as the high sodium in dinner and high sugar in snacks, the analysis is somewhat disjointed. You have not fully developed the comparisons between the three nutrients across all meal types. The overview is present but lacks clarity, and the data reporting is inconsistent. To improve, ensure you provide a more comprehensive summary that covers all categories clearly and meets the length requirement to allow for full development of the data points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes confusing, such as 'In the beginning' to introduce data points, which is not appropriate for a data description task. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the different nutrients and meals. To improve, use more precise linking words like 'whereas', 'in contrast', or 'similarly' to connect ideas and ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus on a specific trend or comparison.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision expected for an Academic Task 1 response. You rely on basic descriptors like 'stronger' to describe sugar levels and 'up and down' to describe trends, which are not appropriate for describing statistical data. There is some repetition of terms like 'nutrients' and 'percentages'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more academic collocations and precise verbs to describe trends, such as 'account for', 'constitute', or 'fluctuate', and avoid informal phrasing when discussing data points.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'the charts illustrated' should be in the present tense ('illustrate'), and 'breakfast consumed the lowest amount' is grammatically awkward as meals do not 'consume' nutrients. There are also issues with preposition usage and sentence construction, such as 'up to 21 to 26%, respectively'. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that your sentences are constructed to accurately reflect the data being presented rather than using conversational phrasing.

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

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