Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-13

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 compares the average proportions in typical meals of three types of nutrients in the USA, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.

Overall, added sugar in snacks occupied the largest portion of nutrients across the three categories, followed by sodium consumed in dinner and finally saturated fat in dinner. Breakfast remained the least contributor of consumed nutrients among all the categories.

Dinner recorded the highest amount of Sodium at 43%, followed by lunch at 29%. Both snack and breakfast occupied only 14% of sodium nutrients.

Again, dinner topped the list of saturated fat consumption at 37%, followed by lunch at 26%. Whereas, snack occupied 21% and finally breakfast at 16%.

Snack saw the most added sugar consumed at 43%, with dinner reported at 26% followed by lunch at 19% nad breakfast at 16%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern that dinner contributes the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. Most figures are reported accurately, including sodium at 43% for dinner and saturated fat at 37%. However, the added-sugar figures are misreported: snacks are 42%, not 43%, and dinner is 23%, not 26%. The overview also says breakfast is the least contributor across all categories, although breakfast and snacks tie for the lowest sodium share. The response addresses the task, but some comparisons and details are less fully developed, and it is 29 words below the 150-word minimum; 18 words copied from the prompt were excluded from the count. Include the missing distinctions and a little more comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the three nutrients. This makes the information easy to follow, and sequencing within the sodium and saturated-fat paragraphs is generally logical. The repeated pattern of “followed by” also helps signal rankings. However, the organisation is somewhat mechanical, with each nutrient handled in the same list-like way rather than drawing comparisons across meals or nutrients. The transition “Whereas” is awkwardly attached after a full stop, and the final paragraph lacks closing punctuation. To strengthen progression, group related comparisons—for example, the dinner peaks for sodium and saturated fat—and use linking phrases more flexibly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportions,” “occupied,” “topped the list,” and “consumption,” so the chart is generally described clearly. There are also attempts to vary wording rather than repeat “percentage” throughout. Some choices are imprecise or unnatural, however: “breakfast remained the least contributor” is not a natural way to describe a share, and “sodium nutrients” is an awkward collocation. “Added sugar consumed” could also be expressed more precisely as the proportion of added sugar in snacks. These choices do not prevent understanding, but more accurate collocations would improve clarity and control. Check spelling as well: “nad” should be “and.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple statements and some more complex forms, such as “all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much,” and most of the information remains understandable. There are some grammatical and punctuation errors. The opening subject is plural, so write “The pie charts compare,” not “compares.” In “Whereas, snack occupied…,” the subordinating conjunction is incorrectly punctuated and leaves the clause fragmentary; connect it to the preceding sentence or use “By contrast.” The final sentence needs a full stop, and the list would read more clearly with consistent punctuation. Aim to check subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries while retaining the range of structures you attempt.

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

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