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 charts illustrate the percentage of three unhealthy nutrients; sodium, saturated fats and added sugar, which is added in four daily meals of the day in USA. Overall, Sodium and saturated fats are more consumed in dinners to 43% and 37% respectively. Meanwhile sugar is more added in snacks at almost 42%.

Lunch meals are the second greatest unhygienic meal eaten in United States which contains 29% sodium, 26% saturated fats and 19% added sugar. Snacks provide 21% of saturated fats but only 14% of sodium. On the other hand, breakfast are least affected meals of the day which comprised of 14% sodium and 16% saturated fats and sugar each, making it comparatively healthier. Regarding adding sugar, snacks dominate intake at 42%, making them by far the largest single contributor. Dinner accounts for 23%, followed by lunch at 19%. Similar to the other nutrients, breakfast registers the lowest proportion of added sugar, contributing just at 16%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features of the three nutrients across the four meal types. You successfully highlight the key trends, such as dinner being the primary source for sodium and saturated fats, and snacks being the highest for added sugar. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the data. To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are precise; for example, stating that lunch is the 'second greatest unhygienic meal' is a subjective interpretation rather than a factual report of the data provided. Focusing strictly on the numerical trends will strengthen your analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, a body paragraph, and a concluding summary of the sugar data. You use cohesive devices such as 'Meanwhile', 'On the other hand', and 'Regarding' to link ideas effectively. However, the paragraphing is slightly imbalanced, as the second paragraph is quite long and covers multiple points. Dividing the information into more distinct thematic paragraphs—perhaps one for sodium/fats and one for sugar—would improve the flow. Additionally, ensure that referencing is consistent; for instance, 'the other nutrients' is a good cohesive reference, but some transitions feel slightly mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'contributor', 'registers', and 'proportion'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice. For example, describing meals as 'unhygienic' is not appropriate in this context; 'unhealthy' or 'nutritionally dense' would be more accurate. Additionally, 'breakfast are least affected meals' is slightly awkward phrasing. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations related to data reporting, such as 'account for', 'constitute', or 'represent', rather than 'affected'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'which is added in four daily meals' (should be 'which are added') and 'breakfast are least affected meals' (should be 'breakfast is the least affected meal'). There is also a minor punctuation error in the first sentence with the semicolon usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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