Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The pie charts compare the proportions of 3 different nutrients included in meals which are consumed by the people in the USA.

Overall, it is noticeable that sugars has the highest percentage in snacks whereas, dinner contains the greatest portion of sodium and saturated fats.

To commence, sodium accounted for the increased percentage of about 43 percent in dinner, followed by the 29 percent in lunch and 14 percent in both breakfast and snack. In contrast, sugar is mostly added in snacks, about 42 percent and about half of it is added in dinner about 23 percent, while lunch and breakfast comprising of only 16 percent and 19 percent of sugar.

Moreover, saturated fat is higher in dinner about 37 percent, following by 21 percent of snacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks account for the highest added-sugar proportion. Several figures are also reported correctly, including sodium at 43% for dinner and 29% for lunch, and added sugar at 42% for snacks. However, the account is incomplete: saturated fat is only compared for dinner and snacks, with breakfast and lunch omitted. There is also a factual reversal in the sugar figures: lunch is 19% and breakfast is 16%, not the other way around. The response is 127 words, below the required 150, and this limits how fully you can cover the data. Include all meal categories and develop the comparisons more evenly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. The overview helps the reader understand the main contrasts before the figures are presented, and sequencing sodium before sugar and saturated fat is generally logical. Some connections, however, are mechanical or unclear. “To commence” and “Moreover” signal progression, but the final paragraph is very brief and does not connect the saturated-fat data to the other meal categories. The phrase “about half of it” also has an unclear reference, since it appears to refer to the snack figure rather than the total. Use a fuller comparison structure, grouping meal categories or nutrients consistently, and make references explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of chart vocabulary, including “proportions,” “accounted for,” “greatest portion,” and “percentage,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “To commence,” although this sounds unnatural in this context. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate: “sugars has” is not a natural way to describe the data, and “sugar is mostly added in snacks” suggests the sugar is added during preparation rather than representing its share in snacks. “Increased percentage” is also unsuitable because the chart shows proportions, not change over time. Prefer precise terms such as “the proportion of added sugar” and “the highest share.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple statements and more complex structures, including the contrast introduced by “whereas” and the sentence beginning “while lunch and breakfast…”. Most of the information remains understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. In “sugars has the highest percentage,” the subject and verb do not agree; “sugars have” or “added sugar has” would be correct. The clause “while lunch and breakfast comprising of only…” lacks a finite verb, and “following by” should be “followed by.” There are also punctuation and spacing issues, such as the comma before “dinner” after “whereas” and the extra space in “both breakfast.” Aim to make each comparison a complete, accurately formed sentence.

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

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