Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-06

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 display how much sodium, saturated fat and added sugar are consumed in typical meals.

Overall, all three nutrient intakes are similar in breakfast and lunch, while dinner and snack show deviations.

Only 14% of sodium, 16% of saturated fat, and added sugar are consumed at breakfast. Similarly, lunch contains 29% of sodium, 26% of saturated fat and 19% of added sugar.

Compared to other meals, dinner contains a high percentage of sodium (43%) and saturated fat (37%), and snacks account for 42% of added sugar. 235 of added sugar is taken from dinner, people consumed around 14% and 21% of sodium and saturated fat respectively, from snacks

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, coming in at only 110 words, which restricts your ability to fully develop the task. You manage to present some key features and make comparisons, such as noting that dinner accounts for the highest percentage of sodium (43%) and saturated fat (37%), while snacks dominate added sugar at 42%. However, the overview is rather simplistic, and certain details are under-developed or mechanically listed. For instance, the final sentence contains a fragmented and confusingly structured observation ("235 of added sugar is taken from dinner..." with a typo for the percentage). To reach a higher band, you must write at least 150 words, provide a more comprehensive overview of all the charts, and extend your comparisons with greater clarity and precision.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

Your response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement, allowing the reader to follow the general flow of information. You make an attempt at grouping data logically, moving from an introductory overview to breakfast and lunch, and finishing with dinner and snacks. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, the transition "Similarly, lunch contains..." is used to link a breakfast statistic that contrasted rather than paralleled, and the final sentence lacks a proper cohesive link or full stop, merging separate clauses awkwardly ("...from snacks"). Paragraphing is also sparse, as the response is condensed into a single block of text rather than being structured into clear body paragraphs. To improve, ensure you use cohesive devices more naturally and separate your ideas into distinct, well-organised paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms related to the visual data such as "percentage," "consumed," "sodium," "saturated fat," and "added sugar." You attempt some less common vocabulary, such as "deviations" and "account for," though there is some inaccuracy in word choice and expression, such as stating that nutrient intakes show "deviations" rather than variations or distinct patterns. There is also a numerical typo ("235" instead of 23%). While these vocabulary errors and slips do not severely impede communication, they prevent you from achieving a higher band. To elevate your lexical resource, aim to incorporate a wider variety of precise synonyms and less common collocation patterns without making mechanical errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Your writing displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the relative structure in your introductory sentence ("how much sodium, saturated fat and added sugar are consumed") and the comparative structure ("Compared to other meals..."). However, there is a limited range of structures overall, and attempts at complex coordination or punctuation falter towards the end of the text. There are frequent errors in punctuation and sentence boundary demarcation, notably the missing full stop and disjointed clause structure at the very end of your response ("...from snacks"). While these grammatical slips rarely impede overall communication, the presence of frequent punctuation and structural errors at the sentence level keeps your writing at this band. To improve, focus on ensuring every sentence has a complete subject-verb structure and correct terminal punctuation.

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

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