Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-19
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)
Here is a picture of chart which is showing the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much. Basically we are talking about the average percentage of sodium, saturated fats and added sugar in typical meals consumed by the people in USA.
Firstly, the sodium is taken by the people of USA in breakfast is 14%. The food in lunch contains 29% of sodium. Moreover, the dinner is having 43% sodium in meal. lastly as far as the snacks are concerned they have 14% of sodium.
The saturated fats are also included in food like breakfast with 16% , lunch with 26% , dinner with 37% and snacks with 21%. Similarly food is incomplete without the added sugar items, so 16% of these items are the part of breakfast, 19% food is in lunch , 23% of added sugar products are in dinner and 42% in snacks.
Most sodium and saturated fats are consumed by people in dinner and most added sugar food is enjoyed in snacking.
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 successfully addresses the main task requirements by summarising the data for sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar across four meal categories. The student accurately reports key figures, such as dinner being highest in sodium (43%) and snacks being highest in added sugar (42%). An overview is provided at the end of the text, highlighting the overall highest consumption points. However, the data points are presented in a somewhat mechanical, list-like fashion rather than being fully integrated into comparative analyses. The introduction also relies slightly too much on copying wording directly from the prompt. Despite these minor limitations, all key features are present, corresponding to a Band 6.0 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement, grouping information logically by nutrient type across paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'lastly', and 'Similarly'. However, paragraphing is somewhat underdeveloped, with multiple distinct ideas grouped together, and some cohesive links feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be smoother to achieve a higher band score. Overall, the structure meets the requirements for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, successfully communicating numerical data and nutrient types. However, the lexical range is limited and repetitive, with frequent use of basic phrasing like 'the sodium is taken by' and 'food is incomplete without'. There are also awkward word choices and phrasing, such as 'is having 43% sodium in meal' and 'enjoyed in snacking'. While these errors do not impede communication, the lack of flexibility and uncommon lexical items keeps the score at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The text contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though complex structures are often clumsy or inaccurate, such as 'Here is a picture of chart which is showing the average percentages...'. There are several grammatical errors regarding prepositions and articles, including 'taken by the people of USA in breakfast' instead of 'at breakfast', and 'food is in lunch'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. Because the errors occur frequently throughout the text without completely obscuring meaning, the writing fits the Band 5.5 descriptor.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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