Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-24
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 7.5)
The pie charts compare the proportion of three types of nutrients, if eaten too much, they may proved unhealthy for the body. The data has been measured in percentages.
Overall, it can be inferred that the largest share of sodium and saturated fat consumed in dinner whereas, added sugar highly consumed in breakfast.
Regarding sodium, dinner makes up the largest share at 43%, followed by lunch at 29%. Breakfast and snacks contributed much smaller amounts, at 14% each.
A similar pattern can be seen in saturated fat. Dinner again has the highest percentage, accounting for 37%, while lunch represents 26%. Snacks contribute 21%, and breakfast contains the smallest proportion, at 16%.
The distribution of added sugar differs noticeably from the other two nutrients. Snacks are the main source, making up 42% of the total. Dinner ranks second with 23%, followed by lunch at 19%. Breakfast once again had the lowest figure, contributing only 16%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0
You have successfully identified the main features of the charts and provided a clear overview. You accurately selected and reported the key data points for sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars across the four meal categories. The comparison between the nutrients is well-handled, particularly the contrast between the distribution of sodium/saturated fat and added sugar. To reach a higher band, ensure that your overview is more comprehensive; for example, you could note that while dinner is the primary source for two nutrients, snacks dominate the third. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs dedicated to each nutrient. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'Regarding', 'A similar pattern', and 'The distribution of... differs' to link your points effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different categories of data. To improve further, ensure that your referencing is always precise; for instance, in the second paragraph, the phrase 'whereas, added sugar highly consumed in breakfast' is slightly awkward and could be improved with better linking words to ensure smoother flow between clauses.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Terms like 'proportion', 'contributed', 'represents', and 'noticeably' are used effectively. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'if eaten too much, they may proved unhealthy' (should be 'may prove') and 'added sugar highly consumed' (should be 'is highly consumed'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more sophisticated synonyms or collocations related to data reporting (e.g., 'constitutes the bulk of', 'a significant disparity') would help elevate the score to a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are some grammatical slips. For example, 'they may proved unhealthy' contains an error in verb form, and 'added sugar highly consumed in breakfast' is missing an auxiliary verb. Additionally, there is a slight punctuation issue in the overview where a comma is used incorrectly before 'whereas'. Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that passive constructions are fully formed.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.