Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-28
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 sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA.
Overall, people consumed less of all three nutrients people consumed in breakfast and more at dinner, but most of the sodium around 43% and saturated fat around 37% were consumed at dinner, and added sugar was consumed around 23% at snacks.
During breakfast, people consumed the same amount of Saturated fat and added sugars, around 16%. At the same time, sodium was slightly less, around 14%; on the other hand, people consumed more sodium, around 29%, during lunch, compared to saturated fat, which accounted for 26%, and added sugar at least amount around 19%.
In snacks, people consumed less sodium around 14% slightly more saturated fat around 21% and double the sugar around 42%.
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 student attempts to cover the main features of the charts, identifying sodium as highest at dinner (43%) and added sugars highest in snacks (42%). However, the overview is somewhat confused ('people consumed less of all three nutrients people consumed in breakfast and more at dinner'), and the data for lunch and breakfast are presented with minor inaccuracies or awkward phrasing. Crucially, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 135 words. Under IELTS regulations, under-length responses must be penalised under Task Achievement. Consequently, while the data is largely addressed, the length penalty and minor flaws cap the score at Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text is organized into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, and then breaking down the data by meal type (breakfast, lunch, and snacks). Cohesive devices such as 'At the same time', 'on the other hand', and 'During breakfast' are used to connect ideas, although some transitions feel a bit repetitive or mechanical. Paragraphing is adequate, but the lack of an overall cohesive flow between the somewhat fragmented sentence structures holds the score to a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms related to data reporting such as 'percentages', 'nutrient', 'consumed', and specific food components ('sodium', 'saturated fats', 'added sugars'). However, there are limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'least amount around 19%' instead of 'lowest proportion'. There are also minor capitalization errors ('Percentages', 'Charts'). The range is sufficient to communicate the main ideas, fitting the Band 6.0 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'While sodium was slightly less, around 14%; on the other hand, people consumed more sodium...'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward punctuation marks, including run-on clauses ('In snacks, people consumed less sodium around 14% slightly more saturated fat around 21% and double the sugar around 42%'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout, and communication is not seriously impeded. This performance aligns well with Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.