Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-14

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 5.0)

In this essay we are discussing about meals which is consume by an average human on dail[y basis, Basically our main topic was those nutrients which are involve in these typical meals which may be unhealthy if eaten too much. Right now we are viewing the average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA.

First of all the main four meals we are talking about are Breakfast, Snacks, Lunch and Dinner. Saturated fats and sodium are same in these four meals at some extent but on the other hand hand added sugar have a big difference from them.

As we can see in the chart their breakfast have 14 percent sodium, 16 percent saturated fat and 16 percent added sugar which does not have big change.But

their snakcs have big changes like 14 percent sodium, 21 percent saturated fat and 42 percent of added sugar which is harmful when using on daily basis.Lunch do not have big changes just 29 percent of sodium, 26 percent of saturated fat and 19 percent of added sugar. Now at last their dinner also have huge change of sugar like 43 percent in of sodium, 37 percent of saturated fat and just 23 percent of added sugar.

In my opinion all these meals are basic and their nutrients also because they are becomming their basic need these days so they can not just ignore it they need to focus on some nutrients and they need to eat in small portions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarize the charts showing the average percentages of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars in typical meals in the USA. However, the student struggles to present a clear, objective overview and instead adopts an inappropriate essay tone with personal commentary, such as 'In my opinion all these meals are basic...'. While the main nutrients and meals (breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner) are identified, the comparisons lack precision, and the data is sometimes inaccurately described or generalized (e.g., claiming dinner has 'huge change of sugar like 43 percent in of sodium'). The response fulfills the requirement of reporting some main features, but the lack of a clear summary overview and the presence of personal opinion hold it below the higher bands. It achieves a Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. It begins with an unnecessary conversational introduction rather than an immediate summary of the charts. Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, with phrases like 'First of all', 'on the other hand', and 'Now at last' acting as mechanical links rather than smooth transitions. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly with pronouns like 'their' referring ambiguously to the American population or the meals themselves. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks clear thematic unity. This places the response firmly in Band 5.0 for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on everyday words and terms directly lifted from the prompt (e.g., 'nutrients', 'meals', 'percentages', 'sodium', 'saturated fat', 'added sugars'). There are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'meals which is consume' instead of consumed, 'using on daily basis' instead of consumed on a daily basis, and inventing phrases like 'huge change of sugar'. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic topic, the limitations and errors cause some difficulty for the reader and restrict the score to a Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0 based on positive marking for covering the topic vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response exhibits a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and faulty attempts at complex forms. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('meals which is consume', 'snakcs have big changes', 'Lunch do not have', 'dinner also have'), tense confusion ('our main topic was those nutrients which are involve'), and missing prepositions or articles. Punctuation is also weak, with run-on sentences and a lack of proper comma usage. These persistent errors impede smooth reading and demonstrate limited control over complex grammar, corresponding to a Band 4.0.

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

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