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 provided pie charts illustrates the proportion of sodium, sturated fat and added sugar in typical meals in the USA.

Overall, the highest percentage of sodium and saturated fat was in dinner meals, while a high share of added sugar appeared in snack meals, which may be unhealthy if consumed too much.

In details, 43% of sodium was in dinner meals as the highest percentage, while lunch accounted for 29%, and 14% for both breakfast and snack. Similarely, the largest share of saturated fat registered in dinner at 37%, while luch stood at 26%, 21% and 16% for snack and beakfast respectively.

In contrast, added sugar accounted for 42% in snack meals as the highest proportion, followed by 23% in dinner, 19% and 16% in luch and breakfast respectively.

From the data described in the pie charts, sodium and sturated fat was consumed dramatically in dinner and may be unhealthy, in addition to the added sugar in the snack meals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You identify the main contrasts accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. The figures you report—such as 43% sodium at dinner, 37% saturated fat at dinner, and 42% added sugar in snacks—match the chart, and you include relevant comparisons across meals. This gives the response a clear overview and covers the key information. The final sentence, however, largely repeats the overview and makes a broad claim that these nutrients “may be unhealthy” rather than adding a further comparison. To strengthen the report, keep the focus on what the data show and make the contrast between the distributions more explicit, for example noting that added sugar is concentrated in snacks whereas sodium and saturated fat peak at dinner.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate detail paragraphs for the meal patterns. This makes the information generally easy to follow, and transitions such as “Overall,” “In contrast,” and “Similarly” help signal relationships. However, the final paragraph repeats points already made, so the progression is less effective at the end. Some linking is also mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “while” to list figures, and “From the data described…” does not introduce a new point. Improve cohesion by grouping comparisons more deliberately and using the conclusion space to synthesise the key contrast rather than restating it. Clearer links between each figure and its meal category would also make the detail sentences smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “accounted for,” “largest share,” and “highest percentage.” These expressions help describe the chart, and the meaning is generally clear. However, several spelling errors—“sturated,” “Similarely,” “luch,” and “beakfast”—are noticeable and reduce accuracy. Some combinations are also unnatural or imprecise: “sodium … was in dinner meals” and “sodium and sturated fat was consumed dramatically” do not describe the chart naturally. Prefer precise reporting language such as “the share of sodium was highest at dinner” or “dinner accounted for the largest proportion.” Avoid repeating “highest percentage” when alternatives such as “largest share” or “peaked at” can make the description more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a complex overview with “while” and comparisons using “as” and “followed by.” Most relationships between the figures remain understandable. Some grammatical errors nevertheless recur. The opening says “The provided pie charts illustrates,” where the plural subject requires “illustrate.” In the final sentence, “sodium and saturated fat was” needs plural agreement, and “was consumed dramatically” is not a suitable grammatical construction for describing percentages. The detail sentence beginning “Similarly” also has an awkward list structure that makes the relationship between the figures less clear. Aim for complete, parallel clauses—for example, “Dinner accounted for 37% of saturated fat, followed by lunch at 26%, snacks at 21%, and breakfast at 16%.”

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