Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-17
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 pie charts compare the mean ratio of Sodium, Saturated fat and added sugar in traditional meals eaten in the USA, which can be harmful if not consumed in moderate quantities.
Overall, the average amount of Sodium and saturated fat constitutes the highest percentages during dinner, whereas the added sugar is considered to be highest in snack.
Turning to details, the ratio of Sodium in breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack comprises of 14%, 29%, 43% and 14%, respectively. It is worth noting that breakfast and snack contains comparable percentage of Sodium. However, dinner constitutes the highest mean percentage of it in the USA. Furthermore, the saturated fat reported the lowest ratio during the breakfast and the maximum percentage was recorded for dinner. Lunch and snack contains 16% and 21% of saturated fat, respectively.
Moving further with details, in the USA, snack is composed of 42% of added sugar which was the highest among all the typical meals consumed. In contrary, breakfast constitutes the minimum percentage, which is 16% of total average percentage. Moreover, 19% of the total proportion of sugar was reported during lunch and 23% during dinner.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response successfully identifies the main features of the charts and provides a clear overview. You have accurately selected and reported the key data points for sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars across the four meal categories. The comparisons are relevant and well-integrated, such as noting that dinner has the highest percentages for both sodium and saturated fat. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview is more distinct from the body paragraphs and consider grouping the data more analytically rather than listing figures for each category sequentially, which can sometimes feel like a mechanical data dump.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Turning to details', 'Furthermore', and 'In contrary' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or misused, such as 'Moving further with details' and 'In contrary' (which should be 'In contrast'). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different nutrients. To improve, focus on varying your cohesive devices and ensuring that the logical flow between sentences is smoother and less repetitive in structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'constitutes', 'proportions', and 'moderate quantities'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'mean ratio' (which should be 'average percentage') and 'In contrary' instead of 'In contrast'. Additionally, 'snack' is used as a singular noun where 'snacks' or 'snacking' might be more natural in context. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the information clearly, but more precise and varied terminology would elevate the response to a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'breakfast and snack contains' should be 'contain') and preposition usage (e.g., 'composed of 42% of added sugar' is redundant). There are also minor issues with article usage and pluralization. Despite these errors, they do not impede communication. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and ensure that your sentence structures are consistently accurate when using more complex phrasing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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