Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-09

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 rendered charts depict the information about the average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA.

Overall, the proportion of sodium and saturated fat meals at night had been consumed by the maximum number citizens, whereas in the breakfast it taken the minimum nutrients. Besides, in snacks the highest count of proportion added.

In detail, in dinner the sodium was utilized about 43%, saturated fat had been used near about 37%, and roughly 23% sugar added in the meals. However, in the breakfast meals the sodium was utilized less than 15%, the saturated fat and sugar added in food is at same proportion around 16.

In the case of snacks, the maximum number of sugar was added approximately 42% and both other nutrients was used almost just below 22%. In last, all nutrients sodium, saturated fat and sugar had been nearly utilized 29%, 26% and 19%, respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the chart topic and report several key figures accurately, including dinner’s highest sodium and saturated-fat shares (43% and 37%) and snacks’ highest added-sugar share (42%). The overview also recognises the broad contrast between dinner and breakfast for sodium and saturated fat, and snacks for sugar. However, some comparisons are unclear or imprecise: “the maximum number citizens” does not accurately describe percentages of nutrients, and “both other nutrients … just below 22%” obscures the snack values of 14% sodium and 21% saturated fat. The final sentence gives lunch figures correctly but does not name lunch, making the comparison harder to follow. A clearer overview and more precise reporting of each meal’s pattern would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs that group dinner, breakfast, snacks and the remaining meal. This gives the information an overall logical arrangement, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Besides,” and “However” help signal relationships. Some cohesion is less successful because the final “In last” paragraph does not identify lunch, while “In the case of snacks” and “In detail” make the sequence feel somewhat mechanical. The overview’s references to “at night” and “in the breakfast” also leave the meal categories less clear than they should be. Use explicit topic sentences naming each meal and connect comparisons directly, rather than relying on formulaic transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “approximately,” “sodium,” “saturated fat,” and “added sugar,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are noticeably inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning difficult to interpret. For example, “maximum number citizens” is not an appropriate way to describe a percentage, and “sugar was added” suggests an action rather than the chart’s share of added sugar in meals. Repeated use of “utilized” and “used” also sounds unnatural for describing nutrient proportions. Choose precise reporting verbs and nouns such as “accounted for,” “share,” and “proportion,” and use the chart’s meal labels consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, and the main figures can usually be understood. However, grammatical control is uneven, with errors in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction. For instance, “in the breakfast it taken” lacks an auxiliary and has an incorrect verb form; “both other nutrients was used” has a subject–verb agreement error; and “the saturated fat and sugar added in food is at same proportion” has problems with agreement and article use. The sentence beginning “Overall” also combines several ideas in a way that makes its structure difficult to follow. Practise accurate present-tense comparisons and plural agreement, and build each sentence around a clear subject and verb.

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