Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
The pie chart illustrates the average percentages of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar in four meals consumed in the USA snack, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Overall, dinner is the healthy meal among all which contains a higher level of sodium, and snack is the unhealthy meal, which contains the maximum amount of sugar. Breakfast contributes a small share of all three nutrients.
An analysis of the pie chart reveals that sodium dinner has a large proportion of 43%. Snack and breakfast have similar contribution of 14%, whereas lunch has 29% which is the second highest.
Saturated fat has a similar contribution to all nutrients. Dinner again has the highest of 37% of the percentage, and breakfast is the lowest of 16% compared with lunch and snack, which have a minimal amount of contribution lunch has 26%, and snack has 21%.
The added sugar was distributed completely differently, the snack has the maximum of 42% intake, while dinner has 23%, whereas lunch and breakfast contributed minimal amounts of intake. Accordingly, lunch is 19%, and breakfast is 16%.
So, most of the Americans mostly include sodium and saturated fat
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the charts, but the analysis is somewhat inconsistent. You correctly identify the highest and lowest values for each nutrient; however, the summary statement in the introduction is inaccurate, as you label dinner as the 'healthy' meal based on high sodium content, which is contradictory. Furthermore, the final sentence is incomplete and lacks a clear conclusion. To improve, ensure that your overview accurately reflects the data and that all sentences are fully formed. You should also focus on making more direct comparisons between the categories rather than listing percentages for each meal individually.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the transition 'Accordingly' in the final paragraph does not logically follow the preceding information. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'Saturated fat has a similar contribution to all nutrients,' which is vague. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, logical progression that connects back to the main task.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion,' 'distributed,' and 'contribution.' However, there are some word choice errors that affect precision, such as 'sodium dinner has a large proportion' (which should be 'sodium in dinner') and 'the healthy meal among all' (which is grammatically awkward). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, try to use more precise collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing when describing trends or data points.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing prepositions ('sodium dinner'), incorrect article usage, and awkward phrasing ('the highest of 37% of the percentage'). The final sentence is a fragment, which significantly impacts the overall grammatical control. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors occur throughout the text. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that every sentence has a clear subject, verb, and object, and proofread carefully to avoid incomplete thoughts.
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