Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-26

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 diagrams illustrate the amount of nutrients contained in foods taken by people residing in the United State of America.

Overall, the three charts show the average number of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar intakes, respectively. These nutrients are shown to have been consumed by US residents over an unspecified period of time with each picture segmented into four proportions namely; snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

While the highest amount of sodium and saturated fat nutrient is contained in dinner meals, added sugar is dominant in snack. This denotes that US residents obtain a good number of sugar from snacking which is 42%.

Moreover, breakfast contains quite same amount of saturated fat and added sugar on a 16% scale whereas there's a smaller amount of sodium in breakfast which is 14%.

Lastly, for lunch, sodium is 29% and saturated fat is smaller by 3%. However, added sugar remains the least nutrient contained in lunch.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the charts, identifying the highest and lowest values for each nutrient. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention that dinner is the highest for sodium and saturated fat, and snacks for sugar, you miss opportunities to make more meaningful comparisons, such as contrasting the proportions across the three categories. The description of breakfast and lunch is a bit list-like, focusing on individual percentages rather than synthesizing the data. To reach a higher band, ensure you group information logically and highlight the most significant trends or anomalies rather than just reporting isolated figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'Lastly', and 'However' to transition between ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some sentences feel disconnected. For instance, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the punctuation around the list of meals ('namely; snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner') is incorrect, which slightly disrupts the flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring punctuation is accurate will enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'nutrients', 'proportions', and 'dominant'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'amount of sodium' is used where 'level' or 'proportion' might be more precise, and 'quite same amount' is non-standard phrasing. Additionally, 'the highest amount of sodium and saturated fat nutrient' is slightly redundant. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoid repeating basic descriptors. Expanding your vocabulary to include more varied ways of describing data trends will help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. For example, 'United State of America' should be 'United States of America', and 'average number of sodium' is incorrect as sodium is an uncountable noun (use 'level' or 'proportion'). There are also minor errors in article usage and subject-verb agreement, such as 'added sugar remains the least nutrient'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band score. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and subject-verb agreement.

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

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