Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-06

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 present the average proportion of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in regular food eating in the USA such as snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Overall, Dinner has high concetration of sodium and saturated fat, whereas snack has more added sugar. Breakfast has the least amount of all of these nutrients. The amount of all of these nourishment in lunch is relatively moderate.

Sodium constitutes higher percentage in dinner which is 43%, while lunch accounts for only 29%. Other snack and breakfast have same quantity of sodium which is 14%.

Saturated fat in snack are higher than sodium, but added sugar is double of it in snack. In breakfast both added sugar and saturated fat are at constant level of 16%. In lunch, sodium is relatively more in proportion than added sugar. In dinner saturated fat is lesser in quantity in comparison with sodium, but it condiferably higher than added sugar. The proportions of saturated fat and added sugar in dinner are 37% and 23% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all four categories of meals and the three types of nutrients, meeting the core requirements of Academic Task 1. The overview section captures the most striking general trends accurately, noting that dinner dominates in sodium and saturated fat while snacks are highest in added sugar. Furthermore, the selection of key features and data points is largely relevant, such as citing the exact figures for dinner sodium at 43% and snack added sugar at 42%. However, the response shows a partial imbalance in how details are reported. While some comparisons are made, certain descriptions become slightly disjointed or under-developed, particularly when attempting to contrast multiple nutrients simultaneously in the final paragraph. To reach the next level, the student should ensure that all comparisons are integrated more smoothly and that every highlighted feature directly supports a comprehensive overview of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure separating the introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. There is a discernible logical progression from the general introductory statements down to specific numerical comparisons. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or somewhat faulty. For instance, transitional phrases between sentences lack variety, and referencing devices can occasionally feel repetitive or awkward, such as the frequent repetition of phrase openings. Paragraphing is used, but the internal flow within paragraphs could be improved to avoid abrupt transitions between unrelated nutrient comparisons. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices without overusing them, ensuring that the relationships between sentences and ideas are seamlessly connected.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the main features of the charts using everyday terminology alongside some task-specific terms like "proportion", "concentration", and "nutrients". The writer attempts less common vocabulary, but this is accompanied by some notable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as writing "regular food eating" instead of "eating regular food" or "consumed", and using "nourishment" instead of "nutrients". There are also word-choice slips like "condiferably" (typographical error/spelling) and phrasing such as "Other snack and breakfast have same quantity". These errors do not seriously impede communication, allowing the reader to grasp the core data, but they prevent the response from achieving a higher score. To improve, the student should focus on precise word formation, natural collocations, and checking spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt to use varied structures such as relative clauses and comparative constructions. There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, but they rarely impede communication. Examples of errors include subject-verb agreement issues like "Dinner has high concetration", missing articles such as "while snack has", and prepositional inaccuracies like "in snack" instead of "for snacks". Punctuation is generally acceptable, though minor slips occur. The grammatical control reflects a standard where simple structures are handled safely, while attempts at more complex patterns introduce recurring slips. To move up to the next band, the writer must increase the proportion of error-free complex sentences and ensure greater accuracy in articles, plurals, and prepositions within grammatical patterns.

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