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 three charts illustrate the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.

Overall, it is clear that dinner is the meal containing highest proportion of Sodium and saturated fat whereas snacks account the largest proportion of added sugar.

Regarding sodium and saturated fat recorded the highest percentage at 43%, 37% respectively for Dinner while added sugar represented 23%. Both snacks and breakfast accounted for the same proportion at 14% of sodium while breakfast and snacks represented at 16%, 21% respectively about saturated fat. As for lunch, sodium recorded 29% while saturated fat stood at 26%.

Finally, for added sugar, snacks recorded for the highest proportion 42%, while breakfast recorded for the lowest proportion 16%, also lunch and dinner accounted for 19%, 23 % respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main pattern accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. Most figures you include also match the chart, including dinner’s 43% sodium and 37% saturated fat, and snacks’ 42% added sugar. However, the response is only 116 words, below the required 150, and this limits how fully you can select and report the key features. The overview is brief, and comparisons are incomplete: for example, you do not clearly compare the meal shares across all three nutrients or highlight that breakfast and snacks tie for the lowest sodium share. Develop the overview and add a few meaningful comparisons rather than listing figures alone.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs reporting the figures. The sequence from the overall pattern to sodium and saturated fat, then added sugar, is generally understandable. However, progression within the body is sometimes awkward, particularly in “Regarding sodium and saturated fat recorded the highest percentage,” where the subject and comparison are unclear. “Finally” signals a new point, but the preceding paragraph already combines several categories, so the organisation feels more like a list than a developed comparison. Use clearer topic sentences and group information consistently—for example, compare the three nutrients by meal, or report each nutrient in a separate paragraph. More precise referencing would also help readers follow which percentages belong to which nutrient.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “accounted for,” “represented,” and “stood at,” and the meaning of the data is generally clear. There is some variation in how you report figures, rather than relying on one verb throughout. However, several word combinations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “account the largest proportion,” “recorded for the highest proportion,” and “the meal containing highest proportion.” These choices reduce precision even though the intended meaning can usually be inferred. Aim for standard chart-reporting collocations such as “accounted for the largest share,” “recorded the highest figure,” and “the meal with the highest proportion.” Also use consistent capitalisation for nutrient names, which are not proper nouns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, and the opening sentence and overview communicate the main message clearly. However, control is uneven, and some sentence structures are faulty. For example, “Regarding sodium and saturated fat recorded the highest percentage” lacks a clear grammatical subject, while “Both snacks and breakfast accounted for the same proportion at 14% of sodium while breakfast and snacks represented at 16%, 21% respectively” combines comparisons in a difficult structure. Articles and comparative phrasing also need attention in “the meal containing highest proportion.” Use shorter, complete clauses when reporting several figures, and check that each sentence has a clear subject and verb. This will make the data easier to interpret and reduce errors in complex sentences.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.