Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

So, today we are going to talk about the average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA. We have catogarized the meals in four different catogarizes breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner. These are your typical 3 meals of the day with the additions of snacks that are normally eaten whenever the person disires. Firstly, we will start with the first meal of the day breakfast, on average an american consumes around 14 percent sodium, 16 percent saturated fat and 16 percent added sugar on a normal day. Secondly, if we move on to lunch these percentages increase in all, now 29 percent of sodium, 26 percent of saturated fat and 19 percent of added sugar. Now, if we account for the snacks, normally snacks are not healthy foods so these percentages vary, like 14 percent in sodium, 21 percent saturated fat and very high added sugar level of 42 percent. Lastly, the heaviest and last meal of the day dinner, these percantages increase, 43 percent of sodium, 37 percent of saturated fat and 23 percent of added sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You report the figures accurately for all four meal categories, including the key highs of dinner for sodium and saturated fat and snacks for added sugar. However, the response mainly lists values in meal-by-meal order rather than selecting and summarising the most important patterns. It lacks a clear overview that draws out the contrast between dinner’s high sodium and fat shares and snacks’ high sugar share. The opening also spends space describing what meals and snacks are, which is not needed for the chart summary. To strengthen the response, begin with an overview of the main comparisons, then support it with a selective set of figures rather than narrating each meal as a sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence, moving from breakfast to lunch, snacks and dinner, and signposting such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Lastly” helps the reader follow that order. However, the organisation is largely a single continuous paragraph, and the repeated meal-by-meal pattern makes the report feel like a list rather than a developed summary. “Now, if we account for the snacks” is a somewhat abrupt transition, while the opening commentary delays the chart information. Use a separate overview and group details by meaningful comparisons—for example, dinner’s high sodium and fat figures versus snacks’ high added sugar—to create clearer progression and more purposeful cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “average percentages,” “sodium,” “saturated fat” and “added sugar,” and the figures are generally expressed clearly. However, the range is limited and some wording is informal or imprecise for an academic report: “So, today we are going to talk about” sounds like a presentation, and “heaviest and last meal” is not a precise description of the data. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “catogarized,” “catogarizes,” “disires” and “percantages.” Aim for concise reporting language such as “the charts compare” and “accounted for,” and use accurate spellings and neutral terms. This would make the vocabulary more appropriate and reliable without changing the clear basic meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Most of the numerical information is conveyed in understandable sentence forms, and you attempt to vary the sequence with clauses such as “if we move on to lunch” and “if we account for the snacks.” However, the response relies heavily on long, joined sentences, with punctuation that sometimes creates run-ons: “Firstly, we will start with the first meal of the day breakfast, on average…” and “Lastly, the heaviest and last meal of the day dinner, these percentages increase…” The latter also lacks a clear grammatical connection between the introductory phrase and the main clause. Use shorter, complete sentences and a wider mix of accurate structures, for example, “At dinner, sodium reaches 43%, while added sugar accounts for 23%.”

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