Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-22
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 pie chats illustrate the proportion of 3 preservatives (sodium, saturated fats and added sugers) used in meals consumed on average by the citizens of the USA. The meals are categorized in breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Overall, the breakfast section among all the meals are shown to the the least amount of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar (14%, 16% and 16% respectively). In terms of sodium and saturated fat levels, dinner seems to be the meal with highest percentage of use of these (43% and 37% respectively) opposed to the level of 23% added sugar.
In terms of snacks, sugar is way ahead with the percentage of 42% compared to sodium (14%) and saturated fat (21%). On the other hand, lunch is the meal which has almost similar amounts of sodium (29%) and saturated fat (26
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the three nutrients and all four meal categories, and several key figures are accurate: breakfast is lowest for all three, dinner has the highest sodium and saturated-fat shares, and snacks lead in added sugar. These are relevant main features. However, the overview is incomplete: it does not clearly compare the overall pattern across meals, and the final point about lunch is cut off after “26”, leaving its comparison unfinished. The response also falls 12 words short of the required 150, limiting the detail available. To strengthen the report, complete the lunch comparison, include the remaining relevant figure or figures, and make the main contrasts explicit without adding unsupported claims such as describing the nutrients as “preservatives.”
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic, sensible structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing snacks and lunch. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “In terms of,” and “On the other hand” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph ends mid-comparison, and the lunch point is not developed into a complete idea. Some phrasing also makes relationships less clear, particularly “opposed to the level of 23% added sugar,” where the comparison is difficult to follow. Organise the details more systematically—for example, compare the leading meal for each nutrient, then describe the remaining meal figures—and ensure each paragraph reaches a complete conclusion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “categorized,” “percentage,” and “compared to,” so the reader can generally understand the subject. However, the range and precision are limited, and several word choices are inaccurate or awkward. “Preservatives” does not describe sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar in this context; “nutrients” or “substances” is more suitable. “Pie chats” and “sugers” are spelling errors, while “percentage of use” is an unnatural collocation for chart data. Aim for precise reporting language such as “accounted for,” “share,” and “proportion,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview sentence beginning “In terms of sodium and saturated fat levels.” The main comparisons are usually understandable, but grammatical control is inconsistent. For example, “the breakfast section … are shown” has subject–verb disagreement, and “the least amount” does not fit naturally with the plural meal categories. The phrase “the the” repeats an article, while “the meal with highest percentage” is missing an article. The final sentence is incomplete and lacks closing punctuation. Practise checking agreement, articles, and sentence completion, then use a mix of shorter accurate statements and longer comparisons.
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