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 average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugar in typical meals consumed in the USA.
Overall, dinner accounts for the largest proportions of sodium, saturated fat consumption, while snacks contain by far the highest percentage of added sugar. In contrast, breakfast was the lowest proportion of all three nutrients.
Looking first at sodium and saturated dat dinner consume at the highset proportio, at 43% and 37%.Lunch is the second highest percentage of both nutrients accounting for 29% and 26%. Breakfast and snacks contain the same proportion of sodium, at 14%. However, in saturated fat breakfast contain at 16% and snacks contain at 21%.
Regarding to added sugar, snacks contain the highest proportion, at 42%. Dinner accounts for 23%, followed by lunch at 19%. Breakfast was the lowest percentage, at 16%. Dinner is the main contributor to sodium and saturated fat, snacks are clearly is the major source of sugar.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response successfully covers all key features of the charts by accurately identifying the main trends across the four meal categories for sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar. The student provides a clear overview stating that dinner accounts for the highest proportions of sodium and saturated fat while snacks dominate in added sugar. Key data points are accurately selected and compared, such as dinner at 43% for sodium and snacks at 42% for added sugar. Although there are some typographical and phrasing slips, all parts of the task are well-addressed with relevant data support, matching the requirements of Band 6.5 to 7.0. Given the solid selection and reporting of main features, a score of 6.5 is well justified.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organised into a logical structure with an introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs dedicated to specific nutrients. Cohesive devices and transition signals such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', 'Looking first at', and 'Regarding to' are employed to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate general trends from specific statistical details. However, some referencing and transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are occasional awkward cohesive links, such as 'Regarding to added sugar'. Overall arrangement is coherent and progression is clear throughout, aligning closely with the Band 6.5 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task, incorporating terms such as 'proportions', 'consumption', 'contributor', and specific nutrient names. Less common vocabulary items are attempted, such as 'account for' and 'major source'. However, there are notable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'saturated dat' instead of 'saturated fat', 'consume at the highset proportio' instead of 'consume the highest proportion', and the preposition error in 'Regarding to'. Despite these slips, communication is not impeded, and the vocabulary is sufficient for the task, justifying a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including introductory subordinate clauses and comparative constructions. However, the text contains a noticeable number of grammatical and mechanical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('breakfast contain at 16%'), missing prepositions, and typographical errors ('dat', 'highset', 'proportio'). Furthermore, the final sentence 'Dinner is the main contributor to sodium and saturated fat, snacks are clearly is the major source of sugar' contains a run-on error and an extra verb. Because these errors recur and disrupt grammatical control while simple structures remain mostly accurate, a score of 5.5 is appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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