Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 chart demonstrates the proportion of the nutrients present in average meal, If their consumption will be exceeded it will be unhealthy.

Overall, the highest percentage of added sugar is present in snack and the highest percentage of saturated fat and sodium is present in dinner.

According to the pie chart, the lowest percentage of sodium is present in snack and breakfast of 14 percent. Dinner contains 43 percent of sodium and in lunch 29 percent of sodium is present. Coming to saturated fat, unlike sodium, the percentage is different in snack and breakfast of 21 and 16 percent respectively. The percentage of saturated fat in lunch is 26 and dinner occupies 37 percent of saturated fat. The snack contains 42 percent of added sugar compared to just 16 percent in breakfast. The percentage of added sugar in lunch and dinner is quite low than the percentages of sodium and saturated fat of 19 percent and 23 percent respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main pattern accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. The figures you report are also consistent with the chart, including sodium at 43% for dinner and 14% for breakfast and snacks, and added sugar at 42% for snacks. This gives the response a clear overview and relevant supporting detail. To make the summary more complete, compare the nutrients across meals more directly—for example, note that dinner is the largest source of all three nutrients except added sugar, and that breakfast is comparatively low across the categories. The final comparison is somewhat unclear because it says lunch and dinner’s added-sugar percentages are low relative to other nutrients without specifying the corresponding figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph of figures. Sequencing the details by nutrient makes the information reasonably easy to follow, and phrases such as “According to the pie chart” and “Coming to saturated fat” signal transitions. However, progression is somewhat mechanical, with repeated sentence patterns such as “The percentage of … is present” and repeated use of “percentage.” The final sentence is difficult to interpret because “19 percent and 23 percent respectively” does not clearly identify which meal matches each figure. Use clearer comparisons and reference the meal and nutrient explicitly, and group related contrasts to create a smoother progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “highest percentage,” “compared to,” and “respectively,” so the meaning is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several expressions are awkward or imprecise, such as “the nutrients present in average meal,” “dinner occupies 37 percent,” and “quite low than.” Repetition of “percentage” and “present” also makes the description less flexible. Choose more natural reporting language, such as “accounts for,” “makes up,” or “is highest in,” and use “lower than” rather than “low than.” More precise comparative vocabulary would help distinguish the meal with the greatest share from one with a smaller share.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including an overview and longer sentences that report several figures, and most of the data remains understandable. Some grammatical errors nevertheless reduce accuracy. The opening has an incorrect article and sentence boundary: “in average meal, If” should be recast as one correctly punctuated sentence, with “an average meal.” The conditional “If their consumption will be exceeded” uses an unsuitable verb form; a structure such as “if they are consumed in excess” is more accurate. In “the percentage … in lunch,” the article and preposition pattern also need attention. Aim for consistently controlled articles, prepositions, and punctuation while retaining varied sentence structures.

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