Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-07
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 illustrate the average proportions of three unhealthy nutrients consumed across four daily meals in the USA. Overall, dinner accounted for the largest share of sodium and saturated fat. While snacks represented the primary source of added sugar. Conversely, breakfast contributes the lowest proportion across all three categories. Regarding sodium, dinner constitutes the most substantial proportion at 43%, followed closely by saturated fat at 37%. Meanwhile, sodium accounted for snacks and breakfast at 14%. Additionally, lunch comprises sodium and saturated fat at 29% and 26% respectively. Lastly, saturated fat in snacks along with breakfast represents a mere 21% and 16% respectively.
Turning to added sugar, snacks recorded the highest figure at 42%. In contrast, dinner comprised the second largest share at 23%. Furthermore, lunch accounted for an additional 19%. Lastly, breakfast shows the percentage to 16% of the total.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the score. While you have identified the main features and provided data, the under-length nature of the response means the information is not fully developed. You have successfully highlighted the key trends, such as dinner being the primary source of sodium and saturated fat, and snacks being the main source of added sugar. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical and lacks a more cohesive synthesis of the data. To improve, ensure you provide a more detailed overview and expand on the comparisons to meet the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Conversely', 'Meanwhile', and 'Turning to'. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'sodium accounted for snacks and breakfast at 14%', which is confusing. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the different nutrients and meals. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence clearly relates to the previous one will help achieve a higher band score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the charts, including terms like 'proportions', 'constitutes', 'substantial', and 'recorded'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'shows the percentage to 16%' is unnatural; a better phrasing would be 'accounts for 16%'. Additionally, the repetition of 'accounted for' and 'comprised' limits the lexical variety. To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate for reporting statistical data.
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 that affect the quality of the writing. For instance, 'sodium accounted for snacks and breakfast' is grammatically incorrect as it implies the nutrient is the subject of the meal rather than the other way around. There are also issues with preposition usage and sentence construction. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and refining the accuracy of your complex sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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