Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 pie charts illustrates the average proportion of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA.

Overall, it is clear that the dinner accounted for the highest percentage in all three types of nutrients that are sodium, saturated fat and added sugar, breakfast represented the smallest share in all categories. Furthermore, snack recorded as the highest percentage in added sugar.

Looking at the sodium and saturated fat charts, the dinner represeted the highest proportion in both nutrients that consumed in the USA, 43% in sodium and 37% in saturated fat. The lunch made up 29% sodium and 26% saturated fat. 14% sodium and 21% saturated fat included in snack, while 14% sodium and 16% saturated fat consumed in breakfast.

Regarding the remaining category, the snack accounted for the largest percentage at 42% and individuals consumed 23% sugar in dinner, wherease 16% consumed in breakfast and 19% in lunch.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main pattern that dinner has the largest share of sodium and saturated fat, and you report the key figures for all three nutrients accurately. The overview also notes the particularly high snack share of added sugar, which is an important contrast. However, it incorrectly says breakfast is the smallest share in all categories: for added sugar, breakfast is 16%, below lunch at 19% but not the smallest? It is the smallest, so this is accurate. The response is 139 words, below the required 150, and 14 words copied from the prompt are excluded from the count. Some comparisons could be developed further, especially the contrast between dinner-led sodium and saturated fat and snack-led added sugar. The accurate coverage is strong, but fuller comparison and meeting the minimum would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs grouping sodium with saturated fat before discussing added sugar. This makes the main information easy to locate, and phrases such as “Looking at” and “Regarding the remaining category” help signal the shift between details. However, some linking is mechanical, and the long overview sentence combines several points without a clear hierarchy. The final paragraph is also brief, so the discussion of added sugar feels less developed than the earlier comparison. Aim for smoother links between comparisons and use references such as “these two nutrients” to avoid repeating category names. The organisation is coherent overall, though progression and cohesion are not consistently flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “accounted for,” “represented,” and “made up,” which helps describe chart data without relying on one verb throughout. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, however: “snack recorded as the highest percentage” and “14% sodium and 21% saturated fat included in snack” do not express the relationships naturally. There are also spelling errors in “represeted” and “wherease,” and “sugar” is less precise than “added sugar” in this context. These slips do not prevent the reader from understanding the figures, but more accurate collocations and careful proofreading would improve precision and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including an overview with a subordinate clause and comparisons using “while” and “whereas.” The meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. The opening should be “The pie charts illustrate,” because the plural subject requires a plural verb. In “the dinner accounted for …, breakfast represented …,” the article before “dinner” is unnecessary, and the sentence beginning “14% sodium and 21% saturated fat included in snack” lacks a finite verb. The final sentence also has an unclear structure around “wherease 16% consumed in breakfast.” Work on complete clauses, subject–verb agreement, and articles, while retaining your attempts at complex comparisons. Greater accuracy across these structures would strengthen the response.

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