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 given pie chart illustrates the average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugar in typical meals like breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner consumed in the USA.
First and foremost, percentage of sodium in breakfast is 14% whereas percentage of saturated fat and added sugar is equal in breakfast which is 16%. Moreover, percentage of sodium is dominant in lunch by 29% while saturated fat is 26% and added sugar is 19%. Moving forward, content of sodium is least in snacks which is 14% in comparision to other ingridients and 21% of saturated fat in snacks is there. Added sugar is significant in snaks at 42%. Lastly, sodium and saturated fat in dinner have minimum marginal difference which is 43% and 37% repectively, while on other hand, only 23% of added sugar is used in dinner.
Overall, sodium is used in dinner with maximum amount and least used in snacks and dinner. In addition, saturated fat is most used in dinner and least used in breakfast. Last but not the least, added sugar is most consumed in snacks whereas least used in breakfast.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the charts and providing relevant comparisons. For example, you accurately note that sodium is highest in dinner at 43% and added sugar peaks in snacks at 42%. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven, placing the response at this level. Certain details could be extended or better synthesised to highlight overall trends rather than listing every single data point mechanically. To reach higher bands, ensure that data points are grouped meaningfully to present a clearer overarching picture of nutrient consumption across meals, rather than relying on a piecemeal breakdown.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and an overview. Information is generally organised logically, moving meal by meal and nutrient by nutrient. However, cohesion relies on somewhat mechanical transitional phrases and signposts such as "First and foremost," "Moreover," "Moving forward," and "Last but not the least," which can feel repetitive or forced. To improve, work on using more subtle and varied referencing and cohesive devices to link your ideas fluidly, ensuring that progression between sentences and paragraphs feels natural and unobtrusive.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to discuss percentages, nutrients, and meals with reasonable clarity. You make successful attempts at using less common vocabulary, such as "dominant," "significant," and "marginal difference." However, there are notable word choice, spelling, and collocation errors that hold your score back. For instance, "ingridients" is misspelled, "in comparision to" contains a typo, "snaks" is misspelled, and phrases like "sodium is used in dinner with maximum amount" are awkward in collocation. To achieve a higher band, focus on accurate spelling, precise word forms, and natural collocations when discussing statistical data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as your introductory sentence and comparative clauses like "while on other hand, only 23% of added sugar is used in dinner." There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing present throughout the text, including article omissions (e.g., "percentage of sodium"), preposition issues (e.g., "in snacks at 42%"), and awkward modifiers like "least used in snacks and dinner" in the conclusion. Fortunately, these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear. To improve your grammar score, aim for greater accuracy with articles, prepositions, and comparative structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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