Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-22

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 three pie charts present the information about the average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals in the United States, all of which may not be good for health if consumed too much.

Overall, the three types of nutrients are eaten relatively at the same rate during breakfast; however, fats and salts are consumed at higher proportion during dinner and snacks has the highest amount of sugar.

Sodium accounted for 43%, while saturated fats made up 37% during dinner. The rate of sugar is lower in night meals, contributing 23%. Breakfast is the only typical meal with the smallest proportion of all the three types of nutrients, with 14% of the salt and 16% of fats and sugar.

Snacks contain the highest proportion of sugar which is nearly 40%. In contrast to added sugar, only 21% and 14% of the nutrients are salt and saturated fats. Salt is the largest nutrient at lunch, accounting for 29%, while fat contributes 26% and sugar made up 19% of the remaining nutrient.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You cover all three nutrients and all four meal categories, and the main patterns are clear: dinner has the highest sodium and saturated-fat shares, while snacks lead for added sugar. The figures you report are generally accurate, including dinner’s 43% sodium and 37% saturated fat, and lunch’s 29% sodium. Your overview also identifies breakfast as low across the categories. However, “breakfast is the only typical meal with the smallest proportion of all the three types” is not fully precise: breakfast ties with snacks for the lowest sodium share, and ties with dinner for the lowest added-sugar share. The overview’s claim that nutrients are eaten “at the same rate” at breakfast also overgeneralises. More exact comparisons would strengthen an otherwise well-focused summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs presenting meal-specific details. The progression from the broad patterns to dinner, breakfast, snacks, and lunch is easy to follow, and linking phrases such as “Overall” and “In contrast” help signal relationships. This is a coherent arrangement, though some cohesion is less controlled than the organisation itself. For example, “In contrast to added sugar” is followed by figures for salt and saturated fat without clearly identifying the meal until the reader infers it is snacks. The overview also combines several comparisons in one sentence, making the relationships slightly harder to track. Use clearer references to each meal and organise details consistently by meal or nutrient to make the progression more seamless.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “accounted for,” “made up,” “proportion,” and “contributing to,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are, however, some imprecise or unnatural choices that limit flexibility and precision. “Eaten relatively at the same rate” is not a natural way to describe percentages, while “the rate of sugar” and “the largest nutrient” do not accurately express the chart’s shares. “Snacks has” also reflects a word-form choice that affects naturalness. Aim for consistent terms such as “share,” “percentage,” and “proportion,” and use precise descriptions like “the largest share of added sugar.” This would make the comparisons more idiomatic and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the opening relative clause (“all of which may not be good for health”) and contrastive structures. Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions are present. In “snacks has the highest amount,” the plural subject requires “have”; “during dinner and snacks has” also creates a faulty agreement and sentence structure. The phrase “with 14% of the salt and 16% of fats and sugar” would be clearer with parallel articles and plural forms, such as “14% of sodium and 16% of both saturated fat and added sugar.” Check subject–verb agreement and make list structures parallel. Greater control of these patterns would improve accuracy while preserving your range.

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