Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-20

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 given pie charts show the average percentage of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in typical meals in United States.

Overall, the data is for four different type of meals, namely snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner. The use of sodium and saturated fats is highest in dinner meals. Snacks take the most space in added sugar category. Quantities of all three nutrients remain almost same in breakfast meals.

Quantities of sodium and saturated fats are highest in dinner meals, they are around 43% and 37% respectively. It shrinks down to 23% for added sugar category. In snacks, the percentage of sodium is 14%. It increases up to 21% for saturated fats. Then a drastic change to 42% is seen for added sugar.

Breakfast is the only category where percentage use of all three nutrients remains almost the same, across all meal types. In lunch meals however, there is a slight change. 29% of sodium is present in lunch meals. The amount of saturated fats are a little lower, and that is 26%. Lastly, for added sugar the amount falls ever more to 19%.

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 lead for added sugar. The figures you give for these comparisons are correct, and the overview also notes that breakfast values are close together. You support the overview with relevant detail from snacks and lunch, so the response addresses the task clearly. However, the breakfast comparison is not fully developed: the chart gives 14%, 16% and 16%, rather than simply saying the values are “almost the same.” You could also make the overall contrasts more precise by noting that dinner is lowest for added sugar and that snack sodium is tied with breakfast. These additions would make the selection of key features more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the meal categories. The progression from the main dinner and snack patterns to lunch and breakfast is easy to follow, and phrases such as “Overall,” “In snacks,” and “Lastly” help signal movement between points. Cohesion is sometimes mechanical, however, with repeated openings such as “The amount…” and “The percentage…” and several short statements linked mainly by “Then” or “Lastly.” The reference in “It shrinks down to 23%” is also not fully clear without rereading, although the intended nutrient can be inferred. Grouping comparisons more consistently and using clearer references would make the flow smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use enough vocabulary to describe the chart and make comparisons, including “highest,” “slight change,” “drastic change,” and “percentage.” The meaning is generally clear, but some choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing proportions. For example, “take the most space” is not an appropriate way to describe a chart value, and “It shrinks down” sounds informal and leaves the referent unclear. “Use” is also repeated where “share” or “proportion” would be more precise. The phrase “the amount falls ever more” is awkward, and “in United States” needs a more natural expression. A wider set of accurate terms for shares and rankings would improve precision and flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex structures, including “where percentage use of all three nutrients remains almost the same” and the contrast introduced by “however.” Most sentences communicate the intended comparisons, but some grammatical errors remain. In the opening, use “the United States,” and “four different type of meals” needs plural agreement (“types”). In “The amount of saturated fats are,” the singular subject “amount” requires “is”; alternatively, write “The quantities of saturated fat are.” The sentence joining two independent clauses with a comma—“Quantities of sodium and saturated fats are highest in dinner meals, they are around…”—needs a full stop, semicolon, or conjunction. More consistent control of articles, agreement and sentence boundaries would strengthen accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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