Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-23

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 given pie charts display the proportions of three different kind of nutrients (sodium, sugar and saturated fat) in four specific meals including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack eaten by individuals in the USA.

Overall, the least amount of all three nutrients is consumed in breakfast while the dinner contains highest amount of sodium and saturated fat. As far as sugar is concerned, the highest amount is found in the snacks.

Starting from breakfast which consists of 14% sodium and the proportion of saturated fat and added sugar is 16% each. The lunch contains 29% sodium, 26% fat and 19% added sugar.

Moving further, the dinner contains huge amount of sodium i.e, 43%, 37% of fat and 23% of added sugar. Coming to the snacks which are made up of 14% sodium, 21% fat and they contain the highest proportion of sugar which is 42%. This was the overall summary of the diet consumed by the people of the USA.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully identifies the main features and makes relevant comparisons between the four meal types and three nutrients. You have clearly highlighted the extremes, such as dinner having the highest sodium and saturated fat, and snacks containing the most sugar. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the data. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are integrated more fluidly rather than listing them sequentially. For instance, grouping the meals by their nutrient profiles or comparing the 'least' and 'most' across categories more explicitly would strengthen the analytical quality of the report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that follow a logical sequence. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different meal categories. Cohesive devices such as 'Moving further' and 'As far as... is concerned' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the progression between sentences feels more natural. The referencing is generally clear, though the final sentence is somewhat redundant as it repeats the purpose of the essay rather than synthesizing the data.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data, including terms like 'proportions', 'nutrients', and 'consumed'. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some phrasing is slightly repetitive or imprecise, such as 'huge amount' or 'made up of'. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise collocations for data description, such as 'a significant proportion' or 'the highest concentration'. The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but more sophisticated lexical choices would enhance the professional tone of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'three different kind of nutrients' (should be 'kinds') and 'the dinner contains highest amount' (missing the article 'the'). Additionally, the punctuation in 'i.e, 43%' is slightly non-standard. The majority of your sentences are error-free, but the presence of these minor errors prevents a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve your accuracy.

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

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