Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-16

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 three pie charts compare the proportions of added sugar, sodium, saturated fat consumed in four different meals the USA : Dinner, Snacks, Breakfast, Lunch.

Overall, it is noticeable that each meal is affected by different dominant cause. In dinner, sodium and saturated fat was found present in higher amount, whereas snacks are the main source of added sugar. Breakfast contributed the smallest share of all three nutrients.

Looking at sodium, dinner represents the higher proportion of 43%, followed by lunch at 29%. Snacks and breakfast each account for just 14%. The same pattern was seen to be followed by saturated fat with dinner amounting the largest at 37%, while lunch makes up 26%. Breakfast and snacks were further consisted of mere 5% difference, 16% and 21%, respectively.

In contrast, the distribution for added sugar differs considerably. Snacks were accounted for largest segment at 42%, almost the twice of the dinner at 23%. However, lunch was at 19% in consisting of added sugar. Breakfast was making 16%, similar to the share of saturated fat.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

You identify the main contrasts accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. The figures you report—including 43%, 37%, and 42%—match the charts, and the overview gives the reader a clear summary of the dominant patterns. You also compare meal categories rather than listing figures in isolation. To make the account more fully developed, avoid the over-generalisation that breakfast has “the smallest share of all three nutrients”: breakfast ties with snacks for sodium, and it is lower than snacks for saturated fat and added sugar, but not uniquely smallest in every case. A more precise overview of these exceptions would strengthen an otherwise well-focused response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised effectively into an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. The progression from sodium and saturated fat to the contrasting added-sugar pattern is logical, and signposts such as “Overall” and “In contrast” help readers follow the comparisons. The figures are generally grouped sensibly, with related nutrients discussed together. Some linking and reference choices are less smooth, however: “The same pattern was seen to be followed” is cumbersome, and “However” does not clearly express the relationship between the lunch and breakfast figures that follow. More direct transitions and clearer links between comparisons would make cohesion more flexible and less noticeable.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of chart-reporting vocabulary, including “proportions,” “account for,” “dominant,” and “distribution,” and terms such as “largest segment” help describe the data. Meaning remains clear throughout. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, which limits precision: “dominant cause” suggests a cause rather than a meal category, “higher amount” is less natural for percentages, and “were accounted for largest segment” is not idiomatic. There is also some repetition of “share” and “proportion.” Aim for natural collocations such as “largest proportion,” “contributed,” and “accounted for,” and use a wider range of accurate comparison language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the contrast clause “whereas snacks are the main source of added sugar” and the comparison “almost the twice of the dinner.” The overall meaning is understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “sodium and saturated fat was found” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “Breakfast and snacks were further consisted” uses an incorrect passive construction. The opening sentence also has an awkward colon and article use, and “lunch was at 19% in consisting” is not a well-formed structure. Practise accurate agreement, active reporting verbs, and sentence patterns for percentages; these corrections would improve control while retaining your range.

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