Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-10

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.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The three charts illustrate the average proportion in daily meals of three distinct types of nutrients, which are the sodium, saturated fat and added sugar; from all of which can cause health problems if eaten too much.

Overall, dinner consists the highest portion in sodium and saturated fat, while in added sugar snack is the highest. The least daily meals that consist of three nutrients is the breakfast.

Dinner comprised a large amount of sodium and saturated fat with a portion of 43% and 37%. Whereas lunch consists 29% and 26%. Breakfast and snack share the same small portion with 14% in sodium, while in saturated fat is 16% and 21% respectively.

Snack has the highest proportion in added sugar with a figure of 42%. Dinner, on the other hand, represented 23%. Lunch has 19% and breakfast is 16% the same as saturated fat.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main contrast accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead in added sugar. The figures you report for these comparisons are correct, and you include all three nutrients. However, the overview claim that breakfast is the least meal for all three nutrients is not accurate: snacks are lower than breakfast for sodium, and breakfast is lowest only for saturated fat and added sugar. Some comparisons are also less fully developed, particularly the added-sugar figures. The response is six words below the required minimum, so it needs a little more detail. To strengthen the report, give a precise overview of the exceptions and compare the meal shares consistently across the charts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs covering sodium and saturated fat, then added sugar. This makes the main information easy to locate, and transitions such as “Overall” and “on the other hand” help signal relationships. Some linking is less controlled, however. “Whereas lunch consists 29% and 26%” is an incomplete contrast, and the final paragraph lists figures without clearly connecting them to the broader pattern. The overview also groups the three nutrients together in a way that obscures the breakfast exception. For stronger progression, use complete comparison sentences and make each paragraph’s relationship to the overview explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “average proportion,” “highest portion,” “comprised,” and “represented,” and the reader can understand the comparisons. There are some imprecise or unnatural choices that limit flexibility: “daily meals” is not a natural way to refer to the meal categories, and “consists the highest portion” does not express the intended relationship clearly. “A large amount” is also less suitable for percentages than language such as “share” or “proportion.” Repetition of “portion” and “highest” makes parts of the report sound less varied. Aim for precise chart language and natural collocations, while retaining the clear nutrient and meal labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, and several statements communicate the data clearly, such as “Snack has the highest proportion in added sugar with a figure of 42%.” Some grammatical errors remain. The opening sentence has an incomplete relative clause after the semicolon (“from all of which can cause”), while “dinner consists the highest portion” is missing a grammatical construction. “Whereas lunch consists 29% and 26%” is also a fragment, and “Breakfast and snack share the same small portion … while in saturated fat is 16% and 21%” has faulty clause structure. These errors do not prevent understanding, but they reduce accuracy. Practise complete comparison clauses and consistent verb forms when describing chart data.

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