Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-05

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 below describe the normal percentages in typical meals of three kinds of nutrients such as (sodium, saturated fat, added sugar) all of which may be junk food if eaten too much. The unit of measurement is percentage.

Overall, the sodium and saturated fat people use in a hug amount in dinner while in lunch, breakfast or in snack people use in least amount of nutrients.

The first pie chart illustrates that the sodium is mostly consumed at dinner which accounts for around 43%, lunch at 29 and breakfast and snacks both account for 14% each.

Similarly, saturated fat amount is also high in dinner approximately 37%, then lunch 26%, snack with 21% and breakfast has the lowest figure up to 16%.

In contrast, a huge quantity of added sugar is contained in snack at around 42%, in dinner around 23% lunch has 19% and the lowest quantity is contained in breakfast 16%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by selecting and reporting the main features of the charts and making relevant comparisons. The overview captures the dominant patterns, noting that sodium and saturated fat are mostly consumed at dinner, whereas added sugar peaks in snacks. Key data points are accurately cited, such as the 43% for sodium at dinner and 42% for added sugar in snacks. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed or expressed with minor inaccuracies in interpretation, such as describing nutrients as 'junk food if eaten too much.' While the main trends are covered well, extending the analysis of breakfast figures or providing a slightly sharper overview would push this aspect further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from an introductory paragraph to an overview, followed by individual body details for each nutrient. Paragraphing is utilized, separating the introduction, overview, and specific data descriptions. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and referencing is occasionally faulty, such as in the second paragraph where the transition 'while in lunch, breakfast or in snack people use in least amount of nutrients' feels disjointed. Transitional devices like 'Similarly' and 'In contrast' are attempted, but their mechanical application prevents the text from achieving a more fluid and sophisticated level of organization.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the basic statistical information with terms like 'percentages,' 'consumed,' and 'illustrates.' The writer attempts some less common vocabulary and phrasing, but this is accompanied by noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word form, such as 'hug amount' instead of huge amount, 'use in least amount' instead of consume the least, and describing nutrients themselves as 'junk food.' Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical control lacks precision, restricting the range to a level where communication is maintained despite the awkward phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response exhibits a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over basic structures. There are several grammatical errors regarding prepositions, articles, and verb patterns, such as 'the sodium and saturated fat people use in a hug amount in dinner,' omitting necessary prepositions and articles. Punctuation and subject-verb agreement also show minor slips, such as missing commas in lists and awkward relative clauses. These errors are typical of a mixed-structure band, as they occur alongside correct sentences and rarely impede the overall communication of the data.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.