Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-27

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 illustrate average percentages of three types of ingredients such as sodium, saturated fats and added sugar in typical meals consumed in the USA. The excessive intake of these nutrients may be unhealthy if it crosses optimal amount.

Overall the nutrient consumption in breakfast remained balanced while the dinner has higher consumption of sodium, fats.

The snacks has higher sugar content with 42% in total, showing unhealthy consumption of added sugar. The sodium and saturated fat content in snacks remained balanced ,14% and 21% respectively. The breakfast has a balanced nutrient content with sodium 14% , saturated fat 16% and added sugar 16%, showing healthy eating overall.

The lunch time food has 29% sodium, 26% of saturated fats and 19% of added sugar, depicting high sodium consumption. Moreover, the last meal, a dinner, has higher nutrient consumption in comparison. The dinner contains 43% of sodium, 37% saturated fat and 23% of added sugar, depicting unhealthy eating among people in USA.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features of the charts. You successfully selected key data points for each meal type and made relevant comparisons, such as noting that dinner has the highest nutrient consumption. However, the analysis could be improved by grouping the data more effectively to highlight trends rather than listing figures for each meal. For instance, you could have contrasted the high sodium in dinner with the relatively balanced profile of breakfast. The overview is present but could be more analytical by focusing on the overall pattern of unhealthy nutrient intake across the day rather than just stating that breakfast is balanced.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding summary. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Moreover' and 'in comparison,' to link ideas. However, the paragraphing is slightly disjointed; the transition between the snacks and breakfast could be smoother. Additionally, some referencing is slightly repetitive, and the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to show relationships between the data points more fluidly. Overall, the progression of information is clear, and the reader can easily follow the comparison of the different meals.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'nutrient consumption,' 'excessive intake,' and 'depicting.' There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'The pie chart illustrate' (subject-verb agreement) and 'crosses optimal amount' (missing article). While you use some topic-specific vocabulary, the range is somewhat limited, and you rely on basic descriptors like 'balanced' and 'higher' multiple times. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise synonyms or varied collocations to describe the data trends, such as 'predominant,' 'significant,' or 'proportionate.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'The pie chart illustrate' instead of 'illustrates,' and 'The snacks has' instead of 'The snacks have.' Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas (e.g., 'balanced ,14%'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent punctuation. The attempt at complex structures is evident, but accuracy needs to be more consistent to achieve a higher band.

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

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