Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-21

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 illustrate the average proportions of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in typical meals in the USA.

Overall, added sugar is mostly eaten in snacks, while sodium and saturated fat are consumed more in dinner. In breakfast, saturated fats and added sugars are the least consumed.

Looking at the first two pie charts, the percentage of sodium and saturated fats in dinner are 43% and 37%, respectively. In snack time, sodium had the lowest amount which is 14%, as well as the amount in breakfast, and saturated fats are reported to be 21%. Sodium and saturated fats are 29% and 26, respectively, in lunch.

Regarding the third pie chart, added sugar is most consumed in snacks ,at 42%, while least consumed in breakfast meals, at 16%. the least second meal which people consume added sugar is lunch, at 19%. In dinner, the average percentage of added sugar is 42%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the charts and give a useful overview: added sugar peaks in snacks, while sodium and saturated fat peak at dinner. Several key figures are also reported accurately, including dinner sodium at 43%, dinner saturated fat at 37%, and snack added sugar at 42%. However, the final sentence incorrectly gives dinner added sugar as 42%; the chart shows 23%. The overview also says breakfast is the lowest for both saturated fat and added sugar, but saturated fat is lowest at breakfast jointly with added sugar, while sodium is also tied for its lowest share there. Some comparisons are incomplete, and the mistaken dinner figure weakens the accuracy of the report. Check each figure against the chart and summarise the main contrasts more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for sodium/saturated fat and added sugar. This makes the information easy to follow, and phrases such as “Overall,” “Looking at the first two pie charts,” and “Regarding the third pie chart” signal the stages of the report. The progression is generally coherent, though the final paragraph’s sequence—snacks, breakfast, lunch, then dinner—could be organised more consistently, for example by moving from the highest share to the lowest. The sentence beginning “the least second meal” is also difficult to follow, and the comma spacing in “snacks ,at” interrupts the flow. Use clearer comparison links and maintain a consistent order when presenting figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “average proportions,” “consumed,” “percentage,” and “least consumed,” and the meaning is generally clear. There is some variation in how you describe the data, rather than relying only on “shows.” However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural: “in snack time” and “the least second meal” do not communicate the comparisons smoothly, while “the amount in breakfast” is an awkward way to describe a percentage. “Most consumed” is also less precise than saying a nutrient accounts for the largest share of a meal’s intake. Aim for accurate collocations such as “the proportion of sodium in snacks” and “the second-lowest share,” and avoid repeating “amount” when describing percentages.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, including the overview’s contrast between added sugar and the other nutrients and the clause beginning “while least consumed in breakfast meals.” Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation slips are present. For example, “the percentage of sodium and saturated fats in dinner are” has a subject–verb agreement problem; “26” is missing the percent sign in “29% and 26”; and the final paragraph begins with lowercase “the.” The construction “the least second meal which people consume added sugar is lunch” is also grammatically awkward. Review agreement, sentence boundaries, and punctuation, and recast unclear clauses into direct comparisons. These corrections would make the report more controlled without sacrificing sentence variety.

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