Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-19

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 4.5)

The charts illustrate three things on average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA. The first chart is showing the sodium and second chart is showing the saturated fat. The third chart showing the added sugar. There are four times of meals showing in charts. These meal are breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.

In the breakfast people are consumed 14% of sodium, 16% of saturated fats and 16% of added sugar in typical meal. At lunch people are consumed 29% of sodium, 26% of saturated fats and 19% of added sugar in typical meal. In the evening people are consumed 14% of sodium, 21% of saturated fats and 42% of added sugar in snacks. At dinner people are consumed 43% of sodium, 37% of saturated fats and 23% of added sugar in snacks. So main thing in these charts differentiate the number and show the percentages of sodium, saturated fat and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the three nutrients and report several figures accurately, including breakfast and lunch values, and you recognise that the charts compare meal types. However, the response gives no clear overview of the main patterns, which is central to summarising the charts. More importantly, the later comparisons mislabel the data: the 14%, 21% and 42% figures belong to snacks, not “the evening,” and the dinner sentence incorrectly says these values are “in snacks.” The key features—that dinner has the highest sodium and saturated-fat shares, while snacks have the highest added-sugar share—are not clearly stated. Select and compare these dominant patterns, and check that each figure is linked to the correct meal.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction is followed by figures for meal types, so the reader can see an attempt to organise the information. The sequence from breakfast to lunch and then later meals also provides some progression. However, the opening repeats the chart labels rather than previewing the main trends, and the final sentence merely says the charts “differentiate the number” without drawing the information together. Connections between figures are mostly absent, and “In the evening” followed by “At dinner” makes the meal sequence and references confusing. Grouping the highest values together and using clear comparisons such as “whereas” or “by contrast” would make the progression more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant basic terms such as “percentages,” “sodium,” “saturated fats” and “added sugar,” and the reader can generally identify the subject of the charts. However, the vocabulary is repetitive, especially the repeated phrase “people are consumed,” and some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “three things on average percentages” and “differentiate the number.” “In the evening” is also an unclear label for the snack category. Use standard chart-reporting language and vary verbs and comparison phrases—for example, “accounted for,” “was highest,” and “compared with.” More precise wording would make the data easier to interpret without changing the basic meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

Most sentences follow a simple subject–verb–object pattern, and the repeated figures are often presented in a recognisable sentence form. However, grammatical errors occur throughout and sometimes make relationships between meals and figures unclear. For example, “The third chart showing” lacks a finite verb, while “These meal are” has an agreement error. The repeated construction “people are consumed” uses an incorrect verb form, and “In the breakfast” and “At lunch people are consumed” show problems with articles and sentence patterns. The response also relies almost entirely on simple sentences, with little variety in clause structure. Practise accurate past-free reporting structures such as “Dinner accounted for 43% of sodium,” then combine comparisons using subordinate clauses or contrast linkers.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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