Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-12

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 given pie chart illustrates the proportions of the three types of nutrients which may be unhealthy if eaten too much, such as sodium, saturated fats and added sugars, used in USA in their typical meals.

Overall, it is crystal clear that sodium was used maximum in dinner and minimum in the breakfast and snacks. Similarly, saturated fats were used majorly in dinner and minorly in breakfast and added sugars were high in snacks and lowest in the breakfast.

To start with, Sodium was used in dinner in a higher proportion which was 43%, then comes the lunch with 29% and then in breakfast and snacks with 14% each. Moreover, nutrient such as saturated fats are used highly in dinner with 37%, following by lunch with 26%, snacks with 21% and breakfast with 16% in proportion.

Furthermore, we have the mostly used nutrient that is Added sugars, which was consumed in bulk by the natives of USA, a large proportion of it is used in snacks with 42%, the second after snacks was dinner with 23% and then comes lunch and breakfast with 19% and 16% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully identifies the main features of the charts, detailing the percentages of sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars across four meal times: dinner, lunch, snacks, and breakfast. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the most striking trends such as sodium and saturated fats peaking at dinner, and added sugars peaking in snacks. Key comparisons are made between the meals for each nutrient. However, the tone occasionally slips into conversational phrasing (e.g., 'furthermore, we have the mostly used nutrient'), and the data reporting is slightly mechanical. To reach a higher band, the overview could be more integrated and analytical, avoiding a mere list of extremes, but the core requirements of Task Achievement are well met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is structured into an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for each nutrient, providing a clear overall arrangement. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'To start with', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore'. However, some of these transitional phrases are used somewhat mechanically or repetitively at the beginnings of sentences. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different categories of information. Referencing is generally clear, though phrases like 'then comes the lunch' and 'following by lunch' indicate slight awkwardness in cohesive flow. Progression is maintained throughout, but smoother transitions would elevate the organizational quality.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully utilizing terms related to data reporting such as 'proportions', 'percentages', 'consumed', and 'respectively'. There are several noticeable lexical and collocational inaccuracies, for instance, writing 'sodium was used maximum in dinner' instead of 'highest', 'minorly' instead of 'in smaller proportions', and 'consumed in bulk'. Additionally, minor phrasing issues like 'the second after snacks was dinner' highlight a lack of precision. While these errors do not impede communication, they restrict the lexical score to the mid-bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses and passive forms (e.g., 'The given pie chart illustrates the proportions of the three types of nutrients which may be unhealthy...'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, such as 'used in USA in their typical meals' (missing articles), 'saturated fats were used majorly... and minorly' (non-standard use of adverbs), and 'following by lunch' (incorrect participle form). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while the errors occasionally distract the reader, they do not prevent the overall message from being understood.

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

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