Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
This chart shows the average percentage of three nutrients in typical meals and suggests that eating too much of them is unhealthy. For healthy meals, breakfast has 14% sodium, 16% saturated fat, and 16% added sugar. For lunch: 29% sodium, 26% saturated fat, and 19% added sugar for healthy meals; for dinner: 43% sodium, 37% saturated fat, and 23% added sugar; and last, for snacks: 14% sodium, 21% saturated fat, and 42% added sugar for healthy meals. Also, that usage of extra nutrients is unhealthy for the human body, meaning nutrients in extra quantity are also harmful to health. This type of typical meal is eaten by everyone in the USA, as the healthy quantity of nutrients is already readable in this paragraph. In this country, they take care of their health very seriously. They use a perfect diet and also do their exercise very well; that's why they live long.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
The response attempts to summarize the chart data by listing specific percentages for sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar across different meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks). However, the student misinterprets the data significantly by repeatedly describing these meals as 'healthy meals' and adding extensive personal commentary and unsupported speculation about Americans' health habits at the end, such as 'they take care of their health very seriously' and 'that's why they live long.' The prompt clearly states that these are nutrients which 'may be unhealthy if eaten too much.' While the core figures are mentioned, the lack of an accurate overview and the inclusion of irrelevant, inaccurate socio-cultural claims prevent the response from achieving a higher band. It meets the minimum word count of 150 words, but the task is only partially addressed due to misinterpretation.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text is written as a single dense paragraph, lacking proper paragraphing which is essential for an Academic Task 1 response. There is some basic organization in how the data points are listed sequentially, but cohesive devices are repetitive and mechanical, relying heavily on phrases like 'For healthy meals,' 'For lunch,' and 'For dinner.' The progression of ideas becomes muddled in the second half of the text as the student transitions abruptly from listing data percentages to making speculative claims about lifestyle in the USA. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the overall structural organization requires better logical sequencing and paragraph division.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic vocabulary such as 'average percentage,' 'nutrients,' 'meals,' and 'unhealthy' throughout the response. There are noticeable word choice errors and misuse of terminology, most notably referring to the harmful nutrients as being part of 'healthy meals' and mentioning 'extra quantity' and 'extra nutrients.' While the numbers and basic terms are communicated, the vocabulary lacks the precision, flexibility, and academic tone expected for Task 1. Spelling is generally accurate, but the restricted range and semantic errors constrain the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'This chart shows the average percentage of three nutrients in typical meals and suggests that eating too much of them is unhealthy.' However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are run-on structures, punctuation issues, and awkward phrasing, such as 'as the healthy quantity of nutrients is already readable in this paragraph' and 'They use a perfect diet and also do their exercise very well.' Frequent errors in collocation and sentence construction cause some difficulty for the reader, placing the response firmly in the lower-middle bands for grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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