Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-25

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 8.0)

The pie charts illustrate the average proportions of three types of nutrients consumed in typical meals in the United States, all of which may be unhealthy if consumed in excess.

Overall, dinner accounts for the highest proportions of sodium and saturated fat, whereas snacks contain the largest proportion of added sugar. Breakfast, meanwhile, accounts for the lowest proportion of all three nutrients.

Regarding sodium and saturated fat, dinner represents the largest proportion, at 43% and 37%, respectively. This is followed by lunch, which accounts for 29% of sodium consumption and 26% of saturated fat consumption. The snack and breakfast segments both account for the same proportion of sodium, at 14%. However, their proportions of saturated fat differ, with snacks accounting for 21% and breakfast accounting for 16%.

In the added sugar chart, snacks account for the largest proportion, at 42%, followed by dinner at 23%. The proportions for lunch and breakfast are the lowest, at 19% and 16%, respectively. Overall, the distribution of added sugar differs considerably from those of sodium and saturated fat.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.5

The student has fully satisfied the requirements of Academic Task 1 by providing a well-structured summary of the main features shown in the charts. The overview accurately captures the key highlights—specifically that dinner dominates sodium and saturated fat while snacks dominate added sugar, and breakfast is consistently the lowest. Furthermore, the supporting details and specific percentages (such as 43% for dinner sodium and 42% for snack added sugar) are completely accurate according to the provided data. Comparisons between the meals and nutrients are drawn effectively throughout the response, and no data points are invented or misread.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The report demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression from the introduction through to the overview and body paragraphs. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: paragraph one introduces the visual, paragraph two provides a clear overall summary, paragraph three details sodium and saturated fat, and paragraph four focuses on added sugar. Cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'meanwhile', 'respectively', and 'however' are used accurately and flexibly to guide the reader through the data comparisons without feeling mechanical or repetitive.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

The vocabulary used is precise, appropriate, and well-suited to an academic report. The writer successfully employs a range of functional terms related to data presentation and nutrition, such as 'proportion', 'consumption', 'distribution', 'accounts for', and 'respectively'. Word choice and collocations are natural and accurate throughout the response (e.g., 'saturated fat consumption', 'differs considerably'), showing a strong command of lexical resources necessary for Band 8.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The student displays a wide range of sentence structures, seamlessly combining simple and complex forms. Complex clauses and participial constructions are handled with a high degree of accuracy (e.g., 'This is followed by lunch, which accounts for 29% of sodium consumption...'). Grammatical control is strong, punctuation is correct, and there are virtually no errors throughout the entire text, resulting in a clean, error-free piece of writing.

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