Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-26

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 charts provide information about the average proportion of three types of nutrients in meals in the USA.

Overall, all three nutrients were less consumed in breakfast whereas highly consumed during dinner and as snacks. The amount of sugar was highly noticed in snacks. Moderate amount of all three nutrients were taken during lunch.

During dinner peope consume highest amount of sodium and saturated fat and moderate added sugar whereas quite opposite trend had seen during breakfast about 14% sodium, 16% saturated fat and 23% added sugar compared with 43% sodium, 37% saturated fat and 16% added sugar. The amount of sugar consumtion is twice as high as the combination of sodium and saturated fat which is consumed during snacks.

On the other hand, during lunch people consume 29% sodium which is the secon most consumption for sodium. Similarly 26% saturated fat was consumed during lunch. On contrary, less sugar was consumed during breakfast.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the subject and include several relevant figures, including dinner’s 43% sodium and 37% saturated fat, and lunch’s 29% sodium and 26% saturated fat. However, the overview is not fully accurate: breakfast is not the lowest meal for every nutrient, since snacks also contain 14% sodium, and dinner is not a high-consumption meal for added sugar. The comparison later gives breakfast added sugar as 23%, but the chart shows 16%; dinner is 23%. The claim that snack sugar is twice the combined sodium and saturated fat is also incorrect (42% versus 35%). These misreadings and the limited coverage of the main patterns make the summary only partially effective. Check each figure and make the overview reflect the chart’s actual contrasts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction and overview are followed by details about dinner, breakfast and lunch. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “On the other hand” signal a shift. However, the progression is not consistently clear. The second paragraph groups dinner and breakfast comparisons in a long sentence, while the final paragraph returns to lunch and then mentions breakfast again. “On the other hand” and “On contrary” do not establish clear contrasts in these places, and the final point feels unfinished. Organise the details by meal or by nutrient, and use linking phrases only when the relationship between the points is explicit. This would make the sequence easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “average proportion,” “nutrients,” and “consumption,” and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “highly consumed,” “sugar was highly noticed,” and “sugar consumtion.” “Moderate amount” is also an imprecise way to describe the figures, while “secon most consumption” makes the comparison difficult to read. These issues reduce precision when reporting data. Aim for standard chart language such as “accounted for,” “was highest,” and “the second-highest figure,” and check spelling and word forms. More accurate collocations would make the report clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a comparison using “whereas” and a sentence beginning “On the other hand.” However, control is uneven, and some sentence structures make the data difficult to interpret. For example, “whereas quite opposite trend had seen during breakfast about…” lacks a clear grammatical construction, and the long sentence comparing breakfast and dinner does not clearly attach the figures to each meal. There are also errors in agreement and articles, as in “Moderate amount … were taken,” and the final sentence, “On contrary, less sugar was consumed during breakfast,” is not well formed. Use shorter, complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and check articles, agreement and punctuation when combining comparisons.

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

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