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 pie charts illustrate the proportion of three different nutrients present in typical meals eaten in a day, if consumed a lot they may deteriorate health.
Overall, it is noticeable that dinner has significantly higher proportion of sodium and saturated fat whereas snacks have much larger proportion of added sugar in it.
To begin with dinner, it is clear that dinner is the greatest source of sodium and saturated fat. While lunch contains only 19% of added sugar and 26% to 29% of saturated fat and sodium. However, breakfast shows almost equivalent percentages of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar.
Moreover, it is clearly seen that snacks are the highest source of added sugar in typical meals consumed in the USA, while containing only 14% of sodium and 21% of saturated fat.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student has attempted to summarise the main features of the charts, noting that dinner is the highest source of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks dominate in added sugar. However, there is a notable omission of specific statistical data or precise comparisons across all meals, which prevents a fully developed response. Furthermore, the length requirement has not been met, as the response contains only 132 words, falling short of the 150-word minimum. This under-length impacts the overall development of the task, leading to a penalty under Task Achievement where ideas remain somewhat limited and generalised. To improve, the student should ensure all key data points are highlighted with figures and meet the minimum word count.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The text demonstrates a basic overall structure with an introductory sentence, an overview, and body paragraphs beginning with transition phrases such as 'To begin with dinner' and 'Moreover'. However, the organisation of the body paragraphs lacks smooth logical progression and clear cohesion. For instance, the paragraph discussing dinner abruptly transitions into lunch details ('While lunch contains only...'). Paragraphing is attempted but needs clearer separation of ideas for each meal type. Referencing and cohesive devices are somewhat mechanical and could be used more flexibly to guide the reader seamlessly through the comparisons between the three nutrients.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'proportion', 'deteriorate health', 'significant', and 'nutrient'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'equivalent percentages', though some word choices and phrasing are slightly awkward, such as 'consumed a lot they may deteriorate health' (run-on/comma splice) or 'snacks have much larger proportion of added sugar in it'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main message, though occasional inaccuracies in collocation and word choice prevent the score from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as subordinate clauses beginning with 'While lunch contains...' and 'whereas snacks have...'. However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text. For example, the opening sentence contains a comma splice ('...eaten in a day, if consumed a lot they may deteriorate health'), and there are missing prepositions or articles in places. Despite these errors, the grammatical mistakes rarely impede overall communication, and the writer demonstrates a basic control of complex structures, placing this firmly in the Band 6 territory.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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