Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-10
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 show the average percentages of three types of nutrients (Sodium, saturated fat, added sugar) in typical meals that consumed in the USA, excessive consumption of the nutrients may be unhealthy.
Overall, the consumption of sodium and saturated fat is higher in dinner and least significant in breakfast, . The consumption of added sugar in snack is higher and lowest in breakast.
The consumption of sodium in dinner made up largest segment, 43%, and 29% in lunch. In breakfast and snacks, the consumption of sodium is 14% respectively. The consumption of saturated fat in dinner contributed significant, 37%, while in lunch the percentage of saturated fat is 26%. Breakfast contributed to saturated fat just 16% and snacks 21%.
Snacks contributed significant to added sugar, 42%, while dinner 23%. The consumption of added suagr in breakfast is 16% and in lunch the percentage of added sugar is 19%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The response identifies the charts’ subject and gives a clear overview: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. It also reports the key figures accurately, including sodium at 43% for dinner and 14% for breakfast and snacks, and added sugar at 42% for snacks. This addresses the main features and supports them with relevant comparisons. The overview’s claim that dinner and breakfast are the highest and lowest for both sodium and saturated fat is broadly supported, although breakfast is not the lowest for saturated fat because snacks are lower than dinner but higher than breakfast? More precisely, breakfast is the lowest at 16%, so the comparison is accurate. To strengthen the report further, compare the three nutrients more directly—for example, note that added sugar is distributed differently, with snacks dominant and dinner much lower.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate detail paragraphs for sodium and saturated fat, followed by added sugar. This makes the information easy to locate, and repeated references to meal categories help maintain the topic. The overview also gives the reader a useful guide to the main patterns. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is somewhat list-like, with repeated openings such as “The consumption of…” and limited linking between comparisons. Some punctuation, including the comma and full stop in “breakfast, .”, interrupts the flow. To make the organisation more flexible, group the nutrients by shared patterns and use concise comparisons such as “By contrast” or “whereas” to show how added sugar differs.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary is sufficient to describe the chart, and terms such as “average percentages,” “contributed,” and “largest segment” show an attempt to use task-appropriate language. The nutrient and meal labels are generally clear, so the reader can follow the comparisons. However, the range is limited by repeated use of “consumption,” “percentage,” and “contributed,” and several collocations are unnatural, including “least significant in breakfast” and “contributed significant.” Spelling slips such as “breakast” and “suagr” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise chart language and vary the wording—for example, use “accounted for,” “share,” or “proportion”—while checking spelling and choosing natural combinations such as “the lowest proportion at breakfast.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response uses a mixture of simple statements and some more developed structures, and most of the data remains understandable. However, grammatical control is uneven, with errors in sentence construction, articles, and punctuation. The opening phrase “typical meals that consumed in the USA” is missing a passive verb (“are consumed”), while “dinner made up largest segment” needs an article before “largest.” The overview’s “higher in dinner and least significant in breakfast” also has an incomplete comparison structure. Several sentences rely on the same basic pattern, limiting range, and punctuation is sometimes faulty, as in “breakfast, .” Work on accurate passive forms, articles, and comparative sentence structures, then combine related figures using controlled clauses such as “whereas” or “while.”
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