Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-14

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 illustrate the average proprotions in typical meals of three types of nutrients, namely sodium, saturated fat and added sugar consumed in the United States of America.

Overall, dinner had the highest consumed sodium, while added sugar had the biggest percentage in snacks. Meanwhile, saturated fat and added sugar had constant percentage in breakfast.

Looking first at the meals that consist of sodium, dinner had the biggest share at 43%; this is followed by lunch at 29%. Meanwhile, snacks and breakfast had the same proportions at 14%. Similarly, dinner had the huge rate in saturated fat stood at 37% which is the second highest figure among the nutrients. Lunch is more than half quarter at 26%, whereas snack accounted for 21% and breakfast at 16%.

Turning to the remaing nutrient, snacks had the highest share of added sugar at 42%, while dinner at 23%, lunch at 19% and breakfast at 16%. The highest share of added sugar was snacks at 42%, whereas sodium had the least share at 14%. Breakfast had the same percentages of saturated fat and added sugar accounted for 16%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover all three nutrients and report the main meal patterns accurately: dinner is highest for sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. The key figures you give, including 43%, 37% and 42%, match the chart, and the overview identifies the main contrast. This meets the task well, with some evidence of the fuller selection and comparison expected at a stronger level. However, the overview’s claim that saturated fat and added sugar had “constant percentage in breakfast” is unclear: both are 16%, but this is a shared value rather than a general pattern. The final comparison that sodium has the least share at 14% is also imprecise because breakfast and snacks tie at that figure. Clarify these points and compare the distributions more selectively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs grouped by nutrient. Sequencing phrases such as “Looking first” and “Turning to” help the reader follow the shift between categories, and the figures are generally presented in a sensible order. Cohesion is not always smooth, however. The overview’s “Meanwhile” does not clearly connect the ideas, and the final paragraph repeats the point that snacks have the highest added-sugar share, already stated at its beginning. Some links, such as “Similarly,” suggest a comparison that is not fully explained. To improve progression, avoid repeating the same finding and use linking expressions only when the relationship between the data is clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of chart-reporting vocabulary, including “proportions,” “share,” “accounted for” and “highest.” These choices make the data understandable, and you attempt more varied phrasing than simply repeating “percentage.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, though: “huge rate” is not a natural way to describe a chart proportion, and “more than half quarter” does not clearly express the comparison intended. “Constant percentage” is also imprecise in this context. There are spelling errors in “proprotions” and “remaing.” Aim for precise, conventional language such as “largest proportion,” “just over a quarter,” and “the same proportion,” and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “while” and “whereas,” and most meanings remain clear. Some grammatical errors and punctuation problems are present. For example, “dinner had the huge rate in saturated fat stood at 37%” combines two sentence structures without a clear grammatical link; write “Dinner accounted for the largest share of saturated fat, at 37%.” In “saturated fat and added sugar had constant percentage,” the singular noun needs an article or plural form, and the sentence’s meaning needs clearer construction. The sentence beginning “The highest share of added sugar was snacks” is also awkwardly formed. Check sentence boundaries and ensure each clause has a clear subject and verb.

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