Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-11

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 pie chart illustrates the average percentage of three nutrients, the sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars consumed by four meal categories in the USA.

Overall, according to the figure, dinner occupies the largest space of both sodim and saturated fats, whereas snacks account for the highest intake of added sugar. However breakfast constantly contributes to the lowest percentage across the three nutrients.

According to the diagram, sodium and saturated fat, dinner has the highest valueof 43% and 37% respectively. Lunch represents the second largest value of both nutrients, contributing 29% and 26% accordingly. Snacks provide 14% sodium and and 21% of satursted fat, while breakfast takes smallest space for both, at 14% and 16% respectively.

The third diagram represents the

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the main pattern that dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. Several figures for sodium and saturated fat are also reported accurately. However, the response is incomplete: it ends with “The third diagram represents the” and gives no figures or comparisons for added sugar, despite this being a key part of the charts. The overview also incorrectly says breakfast is consistently the lowest; snacks and breakfast are tied for sodium at 14%. The response contains 121 words, below the required 150, which contributes to the limited coverage. To improve, complete the added-sugar comparison and check that the overview reflects ties as well as clear highs and lows.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to details about sodium and saturated fat. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression is interrupted by the unfinished final sentence, “The third diagram represents the”, and the added-sugar data are never developed. Some linking is also awkward or repetitive: “According to the diagram” does not lead into a complete grammatical clause, while “respectively” and “accordingly” are used close together for similar comparisons. Organise the body into complete, balanced sections—one for sodium and saturated fat and another for added sugar—and use clear transitions to guide the reader through all three nutrients.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “average percentage,” “contributes,” “highest value,” and “second largest,” so the topic is generally clear. There is some variation in how you describe proportions, but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “dinner occupies the largest space” treats chart segments as physical space, and “takes smallest space” has the same problem. Spelling errors such as “sodim” and “satursted” also reduce accuracy, while “valueof” appears to be a typing error. Prefer precise reporting language such as “accounts for the largest share” or “records the lowest percentage,” and proofread nutrient names and spacing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple statements and more developed comparisons, and the opening sentence communicates the chart topic. However, some sentence structures are incomplete or faulty. “According to the diagram, sodium and saturated fat, dinner has…” lacks a clear grammatical connection between the topic and the main clause. The final sentence is also unfinished, and “breakfast takes smallest space” is missing an article in its structure. In “Snacks provide 14% sodium and and 21% of saturated fat,” the repeated conjunction disrupts the sentence. Build comparisons with complete clauses—for example, “For both nutrients, dinner records the highest proportions”—and check articles, sentence boundaries, and punctuation.

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