Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
The three pie charts show the average percentages of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in four typical meals consumed in the USA.
Overall, dinner contains the highest percentage of sodium nad saturated fat, while snacks have large proportion of sugar. Breakfast generally has the lowest or one of the lowest percentages in all three months.
Looking first at sodium and saturated fat dinner accounts for the largest share at 43% of sodium nad 37% of saturated fat. Lunch is the second highest for both nutrients with 29% sodium and 26% saturated fat. Snacks make up 45% of sodium and 21% of saturated fat, while breakfast has 14% sodium and 16% saturated fat. Therefore, dinner and lunch together make up most of them nutrients.
The pattern for added sugar is different. Snacks are the mian source, at 425 which is much higher the the other meals. Dinner contributes 23%, folloed by lunch at 19%. Breakfast has the smallest proportion at 16%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by summarizing the main features and making relevant comparisons across the three charts. An overview is provided, highlighting the key extremes, such as dinner being highest in sodium and saturated fat, and snacks being highest in sugar. However, there are a few factual data transcription errors in the body paragraphs; for example, the student writes that 'Snacks make up 45% of sodium' instead of 14%, and incorrectly refers to 'all three months' in the overview (referring to a chart with meals, not time periods). Despite these minor data misreadings, the response clearly covers all categories and provides sufficient comparisons, meeting the requirements for Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response is organized into four logical paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, a body paragraph for sodium and saturated fat, and a body paragraph for added sugar. The logical progression is generally clear, and basic cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Looking first at', 'The pattern for... is different', and 'Meanwhile'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty, as seen in typographical errors like 'nad' for 'and' and some loose connections. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different concepts, contributing to an overall coherent arrangement that satisfies the Band 6 descriptors.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, such as 'average percentages', 'proportion', 'source', and 'contributes'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but these are accompanied by typographical errors and inaccuracies, such as 'mian' instead of 'main', 'folloed' instead of 'followed', and data misinterpretations like writing '425' instead of '42%'. Word choice is generally sufficient to convey the main points, but errors in spelling and mechanical typing slightly detract from the lexical quality. Therefore, a Band 6.0 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as subordinate clauses ('while snacks have a large proportion of sugar') and compound structures. There are several grammatical and typographical errors throughout the text, including missing prepositions or incorrect modifiers ('much higher the the other meals', 'most of them nutrients'), as well as repeated spelling mistakes ('nad'). However, these errors do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear. This balance of mixed structures and non-impeding errors aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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