Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-13
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 provided charts illustrate the average proportion in specific meals of three kinds of nutrients they all can be unhealthy if they consumed in large amount.
Overall, it is evident that dinner and lunch represented the highest ratio in sodium while snacks accounted largest proportion in added sugar whereas, breakfast remained same in saturated fat and added sugar.
Looking at the details of sodium dinner stoof at the highest position with 43%, while lunch accounted for 29% and snacks and breakfast contained the same and lowest figure about 14%. In a context of saturated fat dinner indicated the highest ratio 37%, while lunch represented 26%, whereas snacks introduced 21% and breakfast sustained the lowest position about 16%.
Moving on the added sugar snacks was standing in top with 42%. this was followed by dinner which accounted for 23%, while lunch introduced 19% and breakfast stood at the lowest position with just 16%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully identifies the main features of the charts by comparing the percentages of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar across four typical meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks). Key features are reported, such as dinner accounting for the highest proportion of sodium (43%) and saturated fat (37%), while snacks lead in added sugar (42%). However, the overview is somewhat weak, as it is awkwardly phrased and crammed into a single run-on sentence. Furthermore, some comparisons lack precision, and the data reporting would benefit from a sharper synthesis. Nonetheless, all parts of the prompt are addressed, fulfilling the requirements for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organized into paragraphs, attempting an introduction followed by body details. However, the cohesion is often faulty and mechanical. Sentences are chained together with weak transitions like 'while', 'whereas', and 'Moving on the added sugar', leading to run-on structures that hinder fluent reading. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'this was followed by dinner', where the antecedent is ambiguous. Paragraphing is attempted, but the overall progression lacks smooth logical flow due to punctuation errors and dense grouping of clauses. This aligns with Band 5.0 descriptors for cohesion and paragraphing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing statistical charts, employing terms like 'proportion', 'ratio', 'accounted for', and 'highest position'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'dinner stoof at the highest position', 'in a context of saturated fat', and 'snacks was standing in top'. Spelling errors like 'stoof' instead of 'stood' are also present. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, these inaccuracies and awkward phrasings restrict the lexical score to Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and punctuation is weak. There are numerous run-on sentences lacking appropriate punctuation, such as '...while snacks accounted largest proportion in added sugar whereas, breakfast remained same in saturated fat and added sugar.' Missing articles ('the largest proportion', 'at the highest position'), preposition errors ('in specific meals', 'in a context of'), and verb tense inconsistencies ('they all can be unhealthy if they consumed') frequent the text. These errors cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a Band 5.0 level of grammatical accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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