Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-19

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 6.5)

The pie chart illustrates the minimum proportion of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed by people in USA, all these given nutrients may be unhealthy if consumed too much.

Overall, it is evident that all three types of nutrients is consumed in USA in all the four meals such as snacks, breakfast, lunch and dinner. The highest proportion of unhealthy nutrients is eaten in dinner, followed by lunch. While the least percentage of these nutrients is consumed in breakfast.

The data reveals that the highest proportion of sodium 43% is consumed in dinner, which marked the highest figure, followed by saturated fats and added sugar, at 37% and 23%. While the figure for lunch stood at 29% for sodium, and 26% and 19% respectively, for saturated fats and added sugar.

Moving further, breakfast consumed the least amount of unhealthy nutrients. Sodium at 14%, saturated fats and added sugar at 16%. In stark contrast, 42% of added sugar is consumed in snacks, followed by saturated fats and sodium, at 21% and 14% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main pattern that sodium and saturated fat peak at dinner, while added sugar is highest in snacks, and you support this with accurate figures such as 43%, 37% and 42%. The comparisons for lunch and breakfast also cover the chart’s key categories. However, the overview says dinner has the highest proportion of all the nutrients, which overlooks the clear exception of added sugar; this makes the summary less precise. Also, calling the figures “minimum” proportions misrepresents what the chart shows: they are average percentages. To strengthen the response, make the overview capture the contrasting pattern across nutrients and describe the meal shares accurately. The main features are present, but some are not fully or precisely characterised.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear four-paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs presenting details. The information generally progresses from the broad pattern to meal-specific figures, and linking phrases such as “Overall,” “Moving further,” and “In stark contrast” help guide the reader. Some connections are less effective, however. The overview’s claim that dinner leads for all nutrients conflicts with the later statement that snacks account for the largest share of added sugar. The repeated “followed by” constructions also make the comparisons feel somewhat mechanical, while the opening of the final paragraph does not clearly signal that it will discuss the snack figures as well as breakfast. More precise grouping and clearer links between the overview and details would improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of chart-reporting vocabulary, including “proportion,” “figure,” “stood at,” and “in stark contrast,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are some imprecise or unnatural choices that limit flexibility: “minimum proportion” does not describe average data, and “all these given nutrients” is awkward. “The highest proportion … is eaten” is also less natural for nutrient shares than wording that describes the percentage of each nutrient in a meal. Repetition of “consumed” and “proportion” could be reduced through more varied, accurate phrasing. Aim for precise collocations and avoid adding evaluative wording such as “unhealthy nutrients” when the chart reports percentages rather than judging individual meals.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the overview sentence beginning “While” and the comparisons in the detail paragraphs. Most of the data remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. In “all three types of nutrients is consumed,” the plural subject requires a plural verb; “people in USA” needs an article before the country name. The sentence beginning “While the least percentage…” is a fragment, as is “While the figure for lunch stood…,” and “Breakfast consumed the least amount” gives the meal an unclear grammatical role. These issues show that complex sentence attempts are not consistently controlled. Check subject–verb agreement, articles, and whether subordinate clauses are attached to complete main clauses.

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