Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-29

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 4.0)

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

Overall, it is evident that dinner in the sodium and saturated fat are the most significant increase, whereas in added sugar it shows low percentage

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The opening identifies the subject as nutrient percentages in typical meals, and the overview attempts to compare the meal categories. However, the comparison is inaccurate: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, but added sugar is highest in snacks, not low there. The response gives no figures and does not report the chart’s other key pattern, such as breakfast having the lowest or joint-lowest shares for several nutrients. At 41 words, it is also far below the required 150 words; the 10 words copied from the prompt are excluded from that count. This leaves the task only minimally addressed. Select the main highs and lows, support them with accurate figures, and develop them in a complete summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic sequence: an introductory sentence is followed by an overview, and “Overall” signals the shift to the main point. This gives the short response a recognisable structure. However, there is too little information to show a clear progression or organise comparisons across the three nutrients. The overview also joins contrasting ideas in one sentence without making their relationship clear, particularly in “whereas in added sugar it shows low percentage.” Use separate, logically ordered sentences to compare the nutrients, and group related details—for example, dinner’s high sodium and saturated-fat shares, followed by snacks’ high added-sugar share. Clearer linking and fuller paragraph development would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses relevant topic vocabulary, including “percentages,” “nutrients,” “typical meals,” “sodium,” “saturated fat,” and “added sugar,” so the reader can identify the subject. However, the range is very limited, and some phrasing is imprecise or unnatural. “The most significant increase” suggests a change over time, although the charts compare meal categories, while “low percentage” does not clearly identify which meal has the low share. Use precise comparison language such as “accounted for the largest proportion” and “the smallest share,” and vary terms for proportions and meal categories. More accurate, chart-specific vocabulary would make the comparisons clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a complex comparison using “whereas,” and the introductory sentence is understandable. However, the overview contains a faulty sentence structure: “it is evident that dinner in the sodium and saturated fat are the most significant increase” does not form a grammatical comparison. The clause “in added sugar it shows low percentage” also lacks a clear subject and has an incomplete article pattern. These errors make the intended meaning difficult to follow. Use a clear subject and verb in each clause, for example, “Dinner accounts for the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, whereas snacks contain the most added sugar.” Practise accurate comparative sentence patterns and articles.

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

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