Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-18

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 represents the data for the distribution of percentage of three type of nutrients in snack, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Overall, percentage distribution for sodium and saturated fat has maximum consumption during dinner, whereas, major sugar intake is obtained from snacks.

Majority of sodium intake is obtained from dinner, which is about 43%, and it is highest percentage of intake among all three nutrients. However, snack and breakfast contributes in similar percentage of sodium consumption, about 14%, and rest 29% is achieved from lunch.

Consumption of saturated fat holds highest shares for dinner, with 37%. Followed by 26% contribution from lunch. With 16% being lowest contributor from breakfast, it is similar for saturated fat and added sugar. However, majority shares for added sugar is achieved from snacks, followed by dinner and lunch, which is about 42%, 23% and 19%, respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern accurately: dinner accounts for the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks are the leading source of added sugar. Most figures are also reported correctly, including sodium at 43% for dinner and 29% for lunch, and added sugar at 42% for snacks. However, the comparison is not fully complete: the 16% breakfast share for added sugar is omitted, and the statement that it is “similar” to saturated fat could be made clearer. The response is also 8 words below the required minimum. Add a concise comparison of the remaining figures and a little more detail to meet the task requirement and develop the summary more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to details about sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. This makes the main comparisons easy to follow. Some linking is less effective or mechanical, however. For example, “Followed by 26% contribution from lunch” is a fragment, and “However” does not express a clear contrast in the sentence about breakfast and snacks. The final paragraph also combines several comparisons without clearly separating the shared breakfast figure from the added-sugar pattern. Use complete sentences and more precise links, such as “By contrast” for the snack result, to make progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of task-related vocabulary, including “distribution,” “consumption,” “intake,” “shares” and “contribution,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are some inaccurate or unnatural collocations that limit precision: “major sugar intake is obtained from snacks” and “29% is achieved from lunch” make the figures sound as though they are obtained or achieved, rather than representing proportions. “Three type of nutrients” is also an imprecise phrase for the chart’s three nutrient categories. Choose more natural reporting language, such as “accounted for,” “represented” and “the three nutrients.” This would make the description more fluent without requiring more complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, and the reader can understand the comparisons. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with agreement, articles and sentence completeness. In “three type of nutrients,” the plural form is needed; “snack and breakfast contributes” should use a plural verb; and “Followed by 26% contribution from lunch” is not a complete sentence. The phrase “with 16% being lowest contributor” also needs an article before “lowest contributor.” Review subject–verb agreement and ensure each sentence has a main clause. More consistently accurate sentence construction would strengthen the response while preserving its useful range of structures.

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.