Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-30

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 6.5)

The presented charts depicts the average percentage in typical foods of three differend types of nutrients which may occour different types of disease if eaten too much.

Overall, dinner contributes the highest proportions of sodium and saturated fat, whereas snacks account for the largest share of added sugar. In contrast, breakfast contains the lowest percentages of all three nutrients.

Regarding sodium and saturated fat, dinner is the biggest contributor, representing 43% of sodium and 37% of saturated fat. Lunch accounts for 29% of sodium and 26% of saturated fat. Breakfast and snacks each make up 14% of sodium, while breakfast contributes 16% of saturated fat compared with 21% for snacks.

As for added sugar, snacks dominate at 42%, which is considerably higher than the figures for other meals. Dinner and lunch contribute 23% and 19% respectively, while breakfast records the lowest proportion at 16%. This shows that sugary foods are most commonly consumed as snacks rather than during main meals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task well, providing an accurate summary of the visual data across all three nutrient categories. The student correctly identifies key features, such as dinner being the highest contributor of sodium (43%) and saturated fat (37%), while snacks dominate the added sugar category at 42%. Comparisons are made effectively throughout the body paragraphs. An overview is present in the second paragraph, capturing the most striking general trends. Data points are cited accurately from the prompt without major misreadings. Overall, the task is fully addressed with well-selected information, aligning closely with the Band 7 descriptors for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response displays clear logical organisation and progression. Information is grouped logically into an introduction, an overview, and two detailed body paragraphs focusing on different nutrient groups. Cohesive devices are used effectively to guide the reader through comparisons, such as 'whereas', 'in contrast', and 'respectively'. Paragraphing is used appropriately, ensuring each section has a distinct and focused purpose. Referencing is clear and unambiguous. While cohesion is generally smooth, it occasionally relies on standard transition patterns, which prevents it from reaching the highest band. Nevertheless, the organisation fully supports clear communication.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to handle the task flexibly and precisely, using appropriate terms like 'contributor', 'proportion', 'dominate', and 'respectively'. There are, however, a few noticeable lexical and spelling errors that prevent a higher score, such as 'depicts' paired with a plural subject ('charts depicts'), 'differend' instead of 'different', and 'occour' instead of 'cause' or 'lead to'. Despite these minor slips, the vocabulary used is adequate for the task and does not impede communication, comfortably sitting within the Band 6 to 7 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and comparative structures effectively (e.g., 'which is considerably higher than the figures for other meals'). There are some grammatical errors present, most notably the subject-verb agreement error in the opening sentence ('charts depicts') and a minor collocation slip ('average percentage in typical foods'). However, the majority of sentences are grammatically sound, and punctuation is handled well. The errors do not impede communication, reflecting solid control over sentence structures and pointing to a reliable Band 7 level.

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

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