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 charts illustrate the average proportions of sodium, saturated fats and added sugar in typical meals which would be unhealthy if USA people consumed too much.

Overall, the largest proportion of sodium and saturated fat, people consumed in dinner and more sugar was eaten from snack, while breakfast showed the smallest share of saturated fat and added sugar. Sodium remained the same in breakfast and snack. Lunch has more sodium than saturated fat and sugar.

People consumed the highest amount of sodium in dinner was 43%, followed by lunch at 29%, second largest meal. Snack and breakfast have same proportion of sodium, which were accounted for 14%. In contrast, People consumed 37% of saturated fat in dinner, followed by lunch at 26%. The proportion of sodium in snack and breakfast were 21% and 16% respectively.

However, the share of sugar in snack was 42%, largest meal consumed by people which has highest amount of sugar, followed by dinner at 23%, second largest source of sugar. The lunch and breakfast were accounted for 19% and 16% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You identify the main patterns accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks contribute the most added sugar; you also note the equal sodium proportions at breakfast and in snacks. The figures you report are consistent with the charts, and the overview gives the reader a clear summary before the details. Comparisons across meal types are supported with relevant percentages. To make the account more fully developed, compare the three nutrients more directly—for example, note that dinner’s share falls from 43% for sodium to 23% for sugar, while snacks show the reverse pattern. The statement that lunch has more sodium than the other nutrients is useful, but could be integrated into a broader comparison of the meal profiles.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and detail paragraphs that group sodium and saturated fat before discussing sugar. This gives the information a generally logical progression, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “In contrast,” and “However” help signal shifts. The organisation is not always fully smooth, however. The overview’s final sentence about lunch feels detached from the preceding summary, and “However” does not mark a clear contrast with the previous paragraph. Some references, such as “second largest meal,” are imprecise because the comparison is between nutrient shares, not meals. For stronger cohesion, group comparisons consistently by meal or nutrient and use clearer references such as “the second-highest proportion.”

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “average proportions,” “largest proportion,” “share,” and “followed by,” so the chart information remains understandable. There are also attempts to vary wording, such as “consumed,” “eaten,” and “source.” However, some choices are inaccurate or repetitive: “largest meal consumed” confuses a meal with a proportion, and “second largest meal” has the same problem. “People consumed” is repeated and is less natural than describing the figures directly. Use precise collocations such as “accounted for,” “represented,” or “the highest share,” while avoiding unnecessary repetition. Greater control of these phrases would make the comparisons more concise and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentence forms, and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, some sentence structures are faulty, which limits clarity. For example, “People consumed the highest amount of sodium in dinner was 43%” combines two clause patterns without a grammatical link; write “Dinner accounted for the highest sodium share, at 43%.” There are also agreement and tense inconsistencies, as in “Snack and breakfast have same proportion … which were accounted for,” and “The lunch and breakfast were accounted for.” Articles are sometimes missing, and capitalisation is inconsistent after commas. Aim for a reliable pattern such as “Dinner accounted for X%, followed by lunch at Y%,” then vary it only when you can maintain accurate clause structure.

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.