Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-12

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 7.0)

The pie charts illustrates average percentages of three nutrients (sodium, saturated fats and added sugar) in most common meals eaten in the USA. Almost all of these may be detrimental to health if consumed excessively.

Overall, it is evident that sodium and saturated fats have a higher contribution in dinner and lunch compared to snack and breakfast. On the other hand, snack items have the most amount of added sugar. In addition, breakfast is generally contributing the lowest share of all three nutrients combined.

Dinner accounts for the highest share of sodium and saturated fat striking an average of 43% and 37% respectively. This is followed by lunch with an average of 29% sodium and 26% saturated fat. Moreover, sodium has an equal nutrient breakdown in snack and morning meals for the US citizens, which is exactly an average of 14%. In contrast; snacking is a little inclined towards the higher end for saturated fats totalling to an average of 21%; whereas, breakfast remained at 16%.

Comparing the three meals and their proportionate share from sodium and added sugar, there is clear difference witnessed in the case of extra sugar. The snack items consumed by the US inhabitants contain the most amount of added sugar which equals to a 42% contribution, comparing to a 43% for dinner in the case of sodium and 37% in the case of saturated fats. Breakfast still remains at bottom and accounts for only 16% of added sugar, making it the most healthy meal of the day.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response identifies the main patterns accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead in added sugar, and the key figures quoted are correct. The overview also notes breakfast’s generally low contribution. This gives the report a clear, relevant account of the charts, with comparisons supported by data. However, the claim that breakfast is “the most healthy meal of the day” goes beyond what the charts establish: they show only three nutrients, not overall healthfulness. The final paragraph also repeats some earlier comparisons rather than adding much new analysis, and the added-sugar figures for lunch and dinner are not discussed. More selective coverage and avoiding unsupported conclusions would make the summary more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into a clear introduction, overview and two detail paragraphs, and the reader can follow its progression from the overall patterns to specific comparisons. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “On the other hand” and “Moreover” help signal relationships between points. The main limitation is some repetition: the final paragraph revisits the snack, dinner and breakfast comparisons already covered, while the added-sugar data for lunch and dinner could be integrated more effectively. A few transitions are also awkward, particularly “In contrast;” and the shift into “Comparing the three meals and their proportionate share.” Use punctuation consistently and group the figures by nutrient or meal to make the progression more economical and cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for describing proportions and comparisons, including “contribution,” “accounts for,” “followed by” and “totalling.” The writer also uses relevant terms for the chart topic and communicates the data clearly. However, some choices are imprecise or unnatural, such as “most common meals” for typical meals, “the most amount of added sugar,” and “a little inclined towards the higher end.” “Nutrient breakdown” is also not a natural description of equal percentages across meals. These choices keep the language from showing consistently flexible and precise control, although meaning remains clear. Prefer standard chart-reporting collocations and avoid evaluative wording such as “most healthy,” which is not supported by the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex structures, including subordinate clauses and comparison patterns, and most sentences remain understandable. Some grammatical errors persist, however. The opening has subject–verb disagreement in “The pie charts illustrates”; it should be “illustrate.” In “breakfast is generally contributing,” the present simple (“contributes”) is more appropriate for describing chart data. The phrase “Comparing the three meals and their proportionate share from sodium and added sugar” is structurally awkward, and “which equals to a 42% contribution” has an unnecessary “to.” Punctuation around “In contrast;” and “whereas;” is also inaccurate. Review agreement, tense choice and sentence construction, while retaining the range of structures already attempted.

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