Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-28
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 three pie charts compare the average proportion of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar consumed during four typical meals in the USA: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks.
Overall, dinner accounts for the highest intake of both sodium and saturated fat, whereas snacks contribute the largest proportion of added sugar. By contrast, breakfast consistently contains lowest proportion of all the three nutrients.
Regarding sodium, dinner contribute highest proportion at 43%, followed by lunch at 29%. Breakfast and snacks each account for 14%. A similar pattern can be seen in the saturated fat, dinner makes up largest share at 37% of the total, compared with 26% for lunch, followed by snacks at 21%, while breakfast has the smallest proportion at 16%.
The distribution of added sugar differs noticeably. Snacks are responsible for the highest percentage at 42%, dinner at 23%. Lunch accounts for 19%, while the proportion of breakfast contributes same as saturated fat at 16% has lowest figure.
In the end, dinner is a main source of sodium and saturated fat, while added sugar is consumed predominantly through snacks.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.5 |
| 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 relevant comparisons. You clearly highlighted the dominance of dinner for sodium and saturated fat, and snacks for added sugar. The overview is clear and effectively summarizes the key trends. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are described with precision; for instance, when mentioning that breakfast and snacks account for 14% of sodium, you could explicitly contrast this with the higher figures for dinner and lunch to strengthen the analytical aspect of your response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'By contrast', 'Regarding', and 'A similar pattern' to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different nutrient categories. The flow of information is smooth, and the progression from general trends to specific data points is logical. To improve further, ensure that referencing is always precise; for example, in the third paragraph, 'the saturated fat' could be more naturally phrased as 'saturated fat intake'.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.5
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information clearly, using terms like 'proportion', 'consistently', 'noticeably', and 'predominantly'. The language is appropriate for an academic report. There are a few minor issues with word choice and articles, such as 'dinner contribute highest proportion' (should be 'contributes the highest') and 'has lowest figure' (should be 'has the lowest figure'). These errors do not impede communication, but refining your control over articles and collocations will help you achieve a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'dinner contribute' instead of 'contributes') and missing articles (e.g., 'at 16% has lowest figure' instead of 'has the lowest figure'). These are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on proofreading for small grammatical markers like articles and ensuring verbs agree with their subjects, especially when describing data trends.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.