Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-21
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 pie chart illustrates the amount of nutrients in percentage present in normal meals, that may cause chronic or acute illness if eaten without restriction.
Overall, people consumed more sodium and saturated fat during dinner but higher added sugar in the form of snacks. In addition, sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar were consumed the least during breakfast.
A typical dinner contained high amounts of sodium 43%, and saturated fat 37% while, only 23% added sugar. Lunch was found to be high in sodium 29%, saturated fat 26%, and low added sugar of about 19%. Meanwhile, 42% of added sugar was found in snacks, while sodium and saturated fat were around 14% and 21% respectively. The proportions of nutrients- sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar were 14%, 16% and 16% respectively.
Taking everything into account, having any of these nutrients without following the recommended dietary allowance can lead to development of various health problems later down the line.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons. You successfully highlighted the key trends, such as the high sodium and saturated fat content in dinner compared to the high added sugar in snacks. However, the report could be improved by providing a more analytical overview rather than just listing data points. For instance, you could have grouped the nutrients more effectively to highlight the contrast between meal types. The final paragraph is unnecessary as it provides a personal opinion on health, which is not required in an Academic Task 1 report; focus strictly on the data provided.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding summary. You use cohesive devices such as 'Meanwhile' and 'In addition' to link ideas, which helps the flow. However, the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced; the third paragraph is quite dense with data, making it harder to read. Breaking this into two paragraphs—perhaps one for dinner/lunch and one for snacks/breakfast—would improve the structure. Additionally, the transition between the data description and the final concluding sentence is a bit abrupt, as the conclusion shifts focus from the data to general health advice.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'chronic or acute illness' and 'recommended dietary allowance'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic phrasing. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise reporting verbs and nouns, such as 'constitute', 'account for', or 'predominate'. There are also minor issues with collocation, such as 'low added sugar of about 19%', which could be phrased more naturally as 'a lower proportion of added sugar at 19%'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is clear, there are several grammatical slips. For example, 'The pie chart illustrates the amount of nutrients in percentage present in normal meals' is slightly awkward; it would be better as 'The pie chart illustrates the percentage of nutrients present in typical meals'. Additionally, there are punctuation errors, such as the comma usage in 'high amounts of sodium 43%, and saturated fat 37% while, only 23% added sugar'. Despite these errors, the communication is not impeded, and the sentence structures are generally functional.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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