Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The pie charts illustrate the average share of three types of nutrients, namely sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar, across typical meals consumed in the USA. Overall, dinner contributes the largest share of sodium and saturated fats, whereas snacks are the main source of added sugar. Breakfast has the lowest proportions of both fats and sugar.

Dinner accounted for the highest proportions of sodium and saturated fat, at 43% and 37% respectively. Lunch ranked second for both nutrients, acounting for 29% of sodium and 26% of saturated fat. By comparison, breakfast and snacks made up just 14% of sodium, the lowest the figure shown. There saturated-fat proportions are also below dinner and lunch, with snacks accounts for 21% and breakfast makes up 16%.

In contrast, snacks alone account for the largest proportion of added sugar, making 42%. This is almost twice the dinner figure of 23%, while lunch contributes a slightly smaller 19%. Breakfast has the lowest share of added sugar, at 16%. Taken together, the given figures show that dinner is the main contributor of sodium and saturated fat, whereas snacks stand out for added sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response selects the main patterns accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. The key figures are reported correctly, including dinner’s 43% sodium and 37% saturated fat, and snacks’ 42% added sugar. The overview is clear and the comparisons with lunch and breakfast support it. One detail is imprecise: “Breakfast has the lowest proportions of both fats and sugar” is not fully accurate, since breakfast and snacks tie for the lowest sodium share, and breakfast is lowest for saturated fat and added sugar. The later comparison clarifies the sodium tie, but the overview could state it more precisely. Overall, the task is well addressed with relevant selection and support; more exact summarising would strengthen it further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised effectively into an introduction and overview, a paragraph comparing sodium and saturated fat, and a final paragraph on added sugar. This gives the information a clear progression, and contrasts such as “In contrast” help signal the shift to the different snack pattern. The concluding sentence reinforces the main overview without introducing unrelated information. Cohesion is generally clear, though some linking and reference are slightly awkward: “By comparison” does not introduce a particularly distinct comparison, and “There saturated-fat proportions” makes the reference unclear. The repeated summary of dinner and snacks at the end is also somewhat redundant. More precise transitions and cleaner referencing would make the flow more seamless.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

There is a useful range of task-appropriate vocabulary, including “average share,” “accounted for,” “ranked second,” “proportions,” and “contributes.” These choices allow the writer to describe and compare the chart data clearly, and the language is generally suitable for an academic report. Some collocations and phrasing are less natural, however: “making 42%” would be better expressed as “accounting for 42%,” while “the lowest the figure shown” is awkward. “Main source” is understandable but slightly stronger than the chart itself establishes, which shows proportions within meals rather than sources in a causal sense. There is also a spelling error in “acounting.” Greater precision in collocation and careful proofreading would improve control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the overview contrast “whereas snacks are the main source…” and the comparison “This is almost twice the dinner figure…”. Most sentences communicate the data clearly, and punctuation is generally controlled. However, several grammatical errors remain, which limits the consistency of accuracy: “the lowest the figure shown” is an incomplete or malformed construction; “There saturated-fat proportions are also below…” lacks a clear grammatical subject/reference; and “snacks accounts for 21%” has a subject–verb agreement error. The sentence “breakfast makes up 16%” is correctly formed, showing that the writer can express these comparisons accurately. Revising sentence structure and checking agreement would help make the range more consistently controlled.

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

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