Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-15
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 proportion of typical meals of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar nutrients, which may be unhealthy if consumed too much.
Overall, dinner accounts for the largest proportion of sodium and saturated fat consumption, whereas snack made up the highest proportion of added sugar intake. Breakfast consistently represents the smallest share of all three nutrients.
Dinner accounts for the highest proportion of both sodium and saturated fat at, 43% and 37% respectively. lunch was the second largest contributor 29% sodium and 26% saturated fat. In contrast, breakfast share the smallest proportion 14% sodium and 16% for saturated fat. Snacks accounted for 14% consumption while their contribution to saturated fat was sightly higher, at 21%.
A different pattern can be seen in the consumption of added sugar. Snacks made up the largest proportion, at 42%, which was almost twice the figure for dinner, at 23%. Lunch accounted for 19% of added sugar intake, while breakfast had the lowest percentage, at 16%. Notably, breakfast had the same proportion of added sugar and saturated fat, whereas snacks showed a much higher contribution to added sugar than to either sodium or saturated fat.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the charts and making relevant comparisons across the three nutrients. An adequate overview is provided, highlighting the main trends such as dinner accounting for the highest proportion of sodium and saturated fat, and snacks leading in added sugar. Key data points are correctly cited, such as dinner reaching 43% for sodium and snacks peaking at 42% for added sugar. The response is accurate in its representation of the visual data, with no invented figures or major misinterpretations, fulfilling the requirements for Band 7.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The response has a clear logical organization and progression throughout. It is divided into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, moving to an overall summary, and then detailing the specific data in the subsequent body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', and 'Notably'. However, there are minor cohesion and punctuation lapses, such as missing commas or capitalization errors (e.g., 'lunch was the second largest'), which prevent it from reaching a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully utilizing terms such as 'proportion', 'consumption', 'contributor', and 'intake'. Less common lexical items are attempted with some awareness of collocation, though there are minor inaccuracies (e.g., 'snack made up' instead of 'snacks', 'breakfast share the smallest'). Spelling and word choice are generally accurate and do not impede communication, comfortably placing this response in Band 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writing includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over comparative structures and subordinate clauses. However, there are several grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, such as a comma splice and missing capitalization (e.g., at, 43% and 37% respectively. lunch was...', 'breakfast share the smallest proportion 14% sodium'). While these errors do not impede communication, they recur frequently enough to prevent the score from rising to Band 7.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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