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 chart below illustrates the percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars which are utilized in meals normally around USA.

Overall, added sugar is the most utilized form of nutrition in snacking whereas sodium is the main form of unhealthy nutrition consumed in dinner and lunch. Meanwhile saturated fat is at lowest percentages among sodium and sugar in all meals.

Additionally if we breakdown the percentages for breakfast and snacking, added sugar and fats contribute more with the breakfast and snacking percentages which are at 16% for both in breakfast and 21% of fats and 42% of sugar for snacking, whereas sodium is less likely used with the percentage of 14% for both snacking and breakfast respectively.

furthermore if we look into the category of lunch and dinner, sodium is the most consumed ingredient for these meals with the 29% and 43% whereas added sugars is the least used nutrition for lunch and dinner with the percentages of 19% and 23%. Saturated fats stays intermediate between both of them with the percentage of 26% for lunch and 37% for dinner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main patterns and report the figures accurately: dinner has the highest sodium and saturated-fat shares (43% and 37%), while snacks account for the most added sugar (42%). The comparisons between meals also help address the task, and your overview gives the reader a useful summary. This is a strong response to the chart, though some points are less fully developed: for example, the overview says saturated fat is at the lowest percentages, but does not clarify that this is not true for every meal, since added sugar is lower at lunch and dinner. A more precise overview distinguishing the nutrient leaders by meal, and avoiding broad claims such as “most utilized,” would make the key features clearer and more fully supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs comparing breakfast/snacks with lunch/dinner. This gives the information a coherent overall arrangement. However, progression within the body is sometimes mechanical, with “Additionally” and “furthermore” introducing long sentences that list several figures at once. The final paragraph also repeats the earlier claim that sodium leads at lunch and dinner rather than building the comparison more smoothly. Use clearer topic sentences and group the data by the most meaningful contrast—for example, dinner’s high sodium and fat versus snacks’ high sugar. Check capitalization after sentence breaks, and use references such as “these meals” only when their referent is unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentages,” “contribute,” “category,” and “intermediate,” and the reader can generally understand the comparisons. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing chart data: nutrients are “consumed” or “account for” a share, rather than “utilized in meals” or “used” as ingredients. “Main form of unhealthy nutrition” is also imprecise, and “stays intermediate” is an awkward collocation. Repetition of “percentage(s)” and “nutrition” limits flexibility. Aim for precise reporting language such as “accounts for,” “represents,” “highest share,” and “lowest proportion,” while varying sentence phrasing. These improvements would make the vocabulary more natural and exact without changing the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including conditional-style openings such as “if we breakdown” and clauses linked with “whereas.” Most of the intended comparisons remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “added sugars is” has subject–verb disagreement, and “Saturated fats stays” should use a plural verb. In “the percentages for breakfast and snacking,” the following clause is awkwardly attached, while “with the percentage of 14% for both snacking and breakfast respectively” has an unclear structure. Sentence-initial “furthermore” also needs capitalization. Practise building shorter comparison sentences with clear subjects and verbs, then check agreement, clause boundaries, and punctuation.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.