Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The pie charts compare the proportion of sodium, saturated fat and added sugars in different meals in the USA.

Overall, the largest proportion of sodium is consumed at dinners, whereas snacks contain low levels of sodium. Saturated fats are mostly consumed during dinner and lunch, while added sugars make up major contribution in snacks.

Looking at the details, dinner contains a large amount of sodium, accounting for 43% as compared with saturated fats at 37%. Moreover, US citizens intake 29% of sodium and 26% of saturated fats in lunch. Snacks and breakfast represent similar percentage of sodium at 14% each, while saturated fats are 21% in snacks and 16% for breakfast.

Turning to added sugars, the big consumption of sugars is caused by snacks at 42%, while the second largest contribution are dinners make up 23%. Furthermore, breakfast and lunch have almost the same amount of sugars at 16% and 19% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

You address the task clearly and select the main patterns: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. The figures you report are accurate, including dinner’s 43% sodium and 37% saturated fat, and snacks’ 42% added sugar. You also make relevant comparisons across meals, such as the equal 14% sodium shares at breakfast and in snacks. The overview is useful, although “snacks contain low levels of sodium” could be more precise by noting that breakfast has the same share. The comparison of added sugar across all four meals is present but could be developed further by highlighting how much higher the snack figure is than the other meals. Overall, the key information is well selected and supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear four-paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about sodium and saturated fat, then added sugar. This gives the reader a logical progression, and linking phrases such as “Overall,” “Looking at the details,” and “Turning to added sugars” make the shifts easy to follow. Comparisons are generally grouped sensibly, particularly the dinner and lunch figures for sodium and saturated fat. Some connections are less smooth: “Moreover” introduces another set of figures without a strong contrast or addition, and the final paragraph’s “Furthermore” similarly adds little to the relationship between the figures. More precise linking and a slightly clearer grouping of meal comparisons would make cohesion more flexible and less formulaic.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “accounting for,” “represent,” and “contribution,” and the meaning is consistently understandable. There are, however, some inaccurate or unnatural choices that limit precision. “US citizens intake” is not an appropriate collocation for describing chart data, while “the big consumption of sugars is caused by snacks” is awkward and suggests causation rather than a share. “Make up major contribution” also needs a more natural expression. Repetition of “consumed” and “amount” could be reduced by using terms such as “share,” “account for,” or “percentage.” Greater control of collocation and more precise reporting language would strengthen the vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including a subordinate clause in “while snacks contain low levels of sodium” and comparison structures such as “as compared with.” Most sentences communicate the intended data clearly. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “added sugars make up major contribution,” the singular count noun needs an article; “the second largest contribution are dinners make up 23%” has faulty sentence construction and agreement; and “breakfast and lunch have almost the same amount” uses a singular verb with a compound subject. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they show that control is not yet consistent. Check articles, subject–verb agreement, and sentence boundaries when combining comparisons.

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