Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-15
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 charts illustrate the average proportion of three nutrients in typical meals, which may be harmful for poeple if used excessively.
Overall, the substantial use of sodium and saturated-fat are in the dinner, while snacks use a significant amount of added-sugar. However, the least amount of saturated-fat and added-sugar are used in breakfast and sodium in both of snacks and breakfast with the same amount.
Firstly, sodium is used with the highest amount of proportion in dinner, which is 43% and next in lunch, which is 29%. However, the lowest proportion of this is used in both of the snacks and breakfast, which is only 14%.
Furthermore, saturated-fat is mostly used in dinner with the proportion of 37%, which is the highest among other meals. It is minorly used in breakfast with only 16%, which is the lowest one. It is aso used in snacks and lunch with the percentage of 21 and 26, respectively. Added-sugar is substantially used in snacks, which is 42%, while used in breakfast with only 16%, which is same with saturated sugar in terms of the amount of proportion.
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 main patterns accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks account for the largest proportion of added sugar. It also reports several relevant figures correctly, including sodium at 43% for dinner and 14% for breakfast and snacks, and added sugar at 42% for snacks. The overview is clear, and the body covers all three nutrients. To make the account more fully developed, include the missing added-sugar figures for lunch and dinner (19% and 23%) and compare the meal patterns more directly. Also refine the overview’s claim that breakfast has the lowest amount of added sugar: breakfast is lowest, but snacks are highest, a contrast worth stating explicitly.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction and overview are followed by details on sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. Sequencing within the nutrient sections is generally easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Firstly” and “Furthermore” help signal progression. However, the organisation is somewhat list-like, with each nutrient treated separately and limited comparison across the charts. Some transitions, especially “However” in the sodium paragraph, do not express a strong contrast because the sentence simply moves from the highest to the lowest figures. The final sentence also feels abrupt. Grouping related meal patterns and using more precise links between comparisons would make cohesion more flexible and the progression more polished.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The response uses relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “highest,” “lowest” and “percentage,” and the meaning is generally clear. However, the range is limited by repeated and sometimes unnatural combinations such as “used with the highest amount of proportion,” “minorly used” and “substantially used.” The nutrient names are also inconsistently formed: “saturated-fat” and “added-sugar” are better written as “saturated fat” and “added sugar,” while “saturated sugar” is inaccurate. There are spelling slips, including “poeple” and “aso.” Aim for concise, natural reporting verbs and collocations, such as “accounted for,” “made up” and “the proportion was,” and check spelling and terminology carefully.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response attempts a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “which” and contrastive structures. Nevertheless, grammatical control is uneven, and several sentence patterns are awkward or faulty. For example, “the substantial use of sodium and saturated-fat are in the dinner” has a subject–verb agreement problem and an unnatural construction; “the least amount … are used” also mismatches singular “amount” with “are.” In “while used in breakfast,” the clause lacks a clear subject, and “which is same with” is missing an article and uses an unsuitable comparison pattern. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding the main data, but they reduce accuracy. Practise clear subject–verb structures and complete clauses, then proofread articles, agreement and sentence boundaries.
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