Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-02
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 pie charts depict the proportion of three substances in regular meals in USA that can be a threat to health if it is consumed too much.
Overall, sodium and and saturated fat recorded the highest figure in dinner, with a percentage of 43% and 37%, respectively. Conversely, snack is accounted for the largest share of added sugar, at 42%.
It is evident that breakfast contains a relatively stable amount of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar, fluctuating between 14% to 16%. Similarly, sodium and saturated fat in lunch was recorded modestly at 29% and 26%, respectively whereas added sugar was considerably low with just 19%. Likewise, snack contains a moderate amount of sodium and saturated fat. However, added sugar was 42%, doubling the other elements in snack.
Dinner registered the highest amount in all of those, except for added sugar. Sodium and saturated fat in dinner was recorded almost one-third of the the total amount which was considerably higher than added sugar at 23%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt by selecting and reporting the main features of the charts, satisfying the requirements for a solid performance. An adequate overview is provided at the beginning, noting the primary extremes such as sodium and saturated fat peaking at dinner, and added sugar peaking during snacks. However, some areas are under-developed compared to others. For instance, while the general trends across meals are mentioned, some comparisons lack precision and detailed extension. The student successfully reports key data points, such as 43% for dinner sodium and 42% for snack added sugar, meeting the criteria for addressing the core task requirements while leaving room for more fully developed comparative analysis.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at logical progression. The essay is divided into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group data by meal types. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and referencing is not always completely clear. For example, expressions like 'It is evident that' and 'Similarly' are used to connect ideas, but the transitions between sentences can feel a bit rigid. Paragraphing is present, but the internal logical flow within paragraphs occasionally feels disjointed, as seen in the sudden shift in the final paragraph regarding dinner proportions. These features place the response firmly within the middle band for organizational control.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
An adequate range of vocabulary is used for the task, allowing the student to convey information about percentages, nutrients, and meal times effectively. The writer attempts less common vocabulary items such as 'proportion', 'substances', 'fluctuating', and 'doubling', though there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as writing 'in USA' instead of 'in the USA' and 'snack is accounted for' instead of 'snacks account for'. Spelling and word-choice errors are present, but they are infrequent enough that they do not impede communication, ensuring the response meets the requirements for this lexical level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like subordinate clauses and comparative constructions. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('snack is accounted for', 'sodium and saturated fat in lunch was recorded') and missing articles ('in USA'), but these errors rarely impede communication. Complex sentence attempts are generally understandable, though they occasionally contain minor structural slips. The control over basic grammar is largely maintained, and punctuation is used adequately to separate clauses and list data points.
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