Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-14

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 given image demonstrates three pi chart graphs of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in food intake in dinner, lunch, breakfast and snack consumed in the USA.

It is evident from the figures that sodium and saturated fat are widely consumed in dinner while added sugar mostly comes from the snack that people eat.

In the dinner, sodium and saturated fat are the highest nutrients with 43% and 37% respectively whereas the concentration of sugar in the dinner is 23%. After dinner, lunch is the second main source of sodium with 29% and saturated fat with 26%. However, second main source of added sugar is not the lunch but dinner with 23% concentration. Lunch contains 19% added sugar in it. Snack is the biggest provider of added sugar with 42%. However, dinner leads in sodium and saturated fat concentration where snack only contains 14% sodium and 21% saturated fat. Breakfast has relatively low concentrations of all of three; 14% sodium, 16% saturated fat and added sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully identifies the main features of the charts, such as the high levels of sodium and saturated fat in dinner and the dominance of added sugar in snacks. You have made relevant comparisons between the categories. However, the report could be improved by providing a clearer overview or summary statement at the beginning that synthesizes the overall trends rather than just listing the charts. Additionally, the data interpretation is accurate, but the structure could be more analytical by grouping the nutrients or meals more effectively to highlight the key differences.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear progression from an introduction to body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'however' and 'whereas', to contrast the data. However, the paragraphing is somewhat limited; the entire analysis is essentially one block of text. To improve, you should separate the introduction from the body paragraphs and perhaps split the body into two distinct paragraphs—one for the main trends and one for the specific comparisons—to enhance the flow and readability of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'concentration', 'nutrients', and 'provider'. The language is generally clear and appropriate for a report. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more variety and precision in your word choices. For example, instead of repeating 'source' or 'concentration', you could use synonyms like 'contributor', 'proportion', or 'level'. There are no significant spelling errors, and the vocabulary used is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without difficulty.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'three pi chart graphs' (should be 'three pie charts') and 'all of three' (should be 'all three'). Punctuation is generally correct, but some sentences could be refined for better flow. The majority of your sentences are error-free, which demonstrates a reasonable level of control, but more variety in complex sentence structures would help in achieving a higher score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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