Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-01

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 illustrate comparison between the amount of three nutrients present in everyday meal, whose regulatory amount should be taken in the USA .

Overall, it is immediately clear that dinner had most amount of sodium. While breakfast comprised of a balanced ratio. Meanwhile quantity of added sugar was highest for snacks.

The dinner had most amount of sodium and saturated fat ranging 43% and 37% respectively, while added sugar was the least up to 23%. In contrast, added sugar and saturated fat was observed the same for breakfast 16% and sodium only 14%.

The ratio of sodium only contained a tiny portion in snacks among any other meal 14%. This proportion was more for saturated fat at 21% and peaked for added sugar 42%. On the other hand, sodium occupied 29% proportion for lunch which dropped significantly to 26% for saturated fat and again plummeted to 19% for added sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the three charts and making relevant comparisons. An overview is provided, noting key extremes such as dinner having the most sodium and snacks having the highest added sugar. However, some aspects of the response are slightly under-developed or mechanically listed rather than fully synthesized, which places it at this level. For instance, the data descriptions occasionally group nutrients and meals in a slightly confusing manner, such as stating that added sugar and saturated fat were observed the same for breakfast at 16% and sodium only 14%. To reach a higher band, the overview should capture the broader trends more holistically, and the body paragraphs need to integrate comparisons more fluidly without minor inaccuracies in data reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text has a coherent overall arrangement, with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and subsequent detail paragraphs covering the data. Logical sequencing is present, although some transitions and cohesive devices feel a bit mechanical or abrupt, such as the frequent use of 'Meanwhile' and 'On the other hand'. Referencing is generally clear, but paragraphing could be improved to better group the data by meal or by nutrient type. To achieve a higher band, the response needs more sophisticated and flexible cohesive devices, ensuring that information flows smoothly from sentence to sentence without repetitive transitional phrasing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'plummeted', 'proportion', and 'significant'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies that prevent a higher score. Phrases like 'everyday meal, whose regulatory amount should be taken' and 'dinner had most amount of sodium' exhibit awkward phrasing and lexical errors. Furthermore, there are minor slips in word forms, such as 'most amount' instead of 'the highest amount'. To improve in this area, the student should focus on using precise academic collocations and refining word choices to convey data trends naturally and accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct multi-clause sentences. There are, however, some grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, such as missing articles ('dinner had most amount'), incorrect prepositions ('ranging 43%' instead of 'ranging from'), and slight subject-verb agreement issues ('added sugar and saturated fat was observed'). Despite these errors, communication is rarely impeded, and the meaning remains clear. To reach a higher band, the student must increase the frequency of error-free complex sentences and exercise greater control over articles, prepositions, and verb forms.

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

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