Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-07
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)
The three pie charts illustrate the average percentage of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in dinner, breakfast and lunch, and snacks consumed in USA.
Overall, dinner accounts for more percentage in sodium and saturated fat, while snacks contain the larger amount of sugar. In contrast, breakfast contribute the smallest and smallest proportion of the nutrient.
Regarding the sodium, Breakfast is the higher percentage 49 according to the lunch
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5
You identify the chart topic and give a relevant overall comparison: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead in added sugar. However, the response reports almost none of the chart’s supporting data, and the final sentence misreads it: breakfast is not the highest for sodium, and “49” does not match any figure. The chart shows dinner at 43% for sodium and 37% for saturated fat, and snacks at 42% for added sugar. The claim that breakfast has the smallest proportion is also too broad, since it ties with snacks for sodium. The response is substantially below the required 150 words, leaving the task only minimally addressed. Add accurate comparisons and key figures for all three nutrients.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
There is a basic structure: an opening sentence, an overview introduced by “Overall,” and an attempt to begin a detail paragraph with “Regarding the sodium.” This gives the reader some indication of the response’s direction. However, the writing stops before developing that paragraph, so there is no clear progression through the chart’s categories or comparisons. The repeated “smallest and smallest” is unclear, and “according to the lunch” does not establish a meaningful relationship between the figures. Organise the details into a complete sequence—for example, compare sodium and saturated fat first, then added sugar—and use clear links such as “whereas” and “by comparison.”
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The response uses relevant chart vocabulary, including “average percentage,” “sodium,” “saturated fats,” “added sugars,” and “accounts for.” These terms make the general subject understandable, and the overview attempts to compare meal categories. However, the range is narrow, with repeated use of “percentage” and “proportion,” and some phrases are imprecise or unnatural, such as “more percentage” and “the higher percentage 49.” “The larger amount of sugar” is also less precise than describing a share or proportion. Build a small set of accurate comparison expressions and use them with the data, such as “accounted for 43%,” “the highest share,” and “was followed by.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple statements and a contrast structure, as in “Overall, dinner accounts for more percentage in sodium and saturated fat, while snacks contain the larger amount of sugar.” The main message is partly recoverable, but grammatical control is uneven. In “breakfast contribute,” the subject and verb do not agree; “breakfast contributes” is needed. The phrase “the smallest and smallest proportion” is not a complete, clear comparison, and the final sentence, “Breakfast is the higher percentage 49 according to the lunch,” lacks a workable grammatical structure. Use complete sentences with a clear subject, verb, and comparison—for example, “Dinner accounts for the highest share of sodium, at 43%.” Check agreement and sentence completeness before finishing.
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