Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The chart shows the average percentage of consumption of three types of nutirents which may be unhealthy if not taken in moderation. These are sodium, saturated fats and sugar which contribute in the diet of people in the USA.

These nutrients are beneficial if taken in appropriate amount however if the margin increases for consumption it may have adverse effects aswell. Talking about first meal of the day which is breakfast has almost 14% to 16% intake of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars. Lunch has almost 20% to 30% of the share for these nutrients. During dinner there is maximum consumption of sodium and saturated fats compared if compared to added sugars. Whereas the added sugars are consumed more at the time of having snacks rather than sodium or saturated fats.

Overall we can say that consumption of all three nutrients is maximum at the time of dinner rather than in the daytime.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the three nutrients and make relevant comparisons, including that dinner has the highest sodium and saturated-fat shares and snacks have the highest added-sugar share. However, the overview is inaccurate: it says all three nutrients peak at dinner, contradicting your own observation about added sugar and the chart, where snacks account for 42%. Several figures are also grouped too broadly: breakfast is 14% sodium and 16% for each of the other nutrients, while lunch is 29%, 26% and 19%, respectively. The response therefore covers the task only partially, with key features under-reported or unclear. Give a precise overview and support it with selected, accurate figures for each meal and nutrient.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph describing meal patterns, and a concluding overview. The comparisons are generally presented in a sensible order, and linking expressions such as “however” and “Whereas” help connect ideas. Some cohesion is less effective, though. “During dinner” is followed by a comparison that is repeated in the conclusion, while the final claim conflicts with the earlier statement about snacks and added sugar. The phrase “compared if compared” is also repetitive, and “These nutrients” has a somewhat unclear reference after the opening sentence. Organise the body around the main contrasts and make the overview consistent with the details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “sodium,” “saturated fats,” “added sugars,” “consumption” and “intake,” so the subject is clear. There is some attempt to vary expression, but several choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing chart data. “Margin increases for consumption” does not clearly express a rise in intake, and “share for these nutrients” is vague. “Beneficial” and the discussion of adverse effects also add general commentary rather than helping report the figures. Spelling errors such as “nutirents” and “aswell” are noticeable. Use precise reporting language such as “accounted for,” “proportion” and “was highest,” and check spelling and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex forms, for example the contrast introduced by “however” and the sentence beginning “Whereas the added sugars…”. Most of the meaning remains understandable, but some sentence construction and punctuation need more control. The opening sentence is awkwardly structured, and “These are sodium, saturated fats and sugar which contribute in the diet” lacks a clear grammatical relationship between the nutrients and the diet. The sentence beginning “Talking about first meal” is also an incomplete, conversational framing rather than a direct chart description. In “if the margin increases for consumption,” the conditional structure is difficult to follow. Build direct subject–verb sentences and use subordinate clauses only when their relationships are clear.

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