Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-24

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 three pie chart compare the avarage percentages of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars all of which may be unhealthy if eaten extensively in the USA.

Overall, dinner is main source of sodium and saturated fat, while snack contain the highest proportion of added sugar. In contrast, breakfast contain the lowest in all three nutrients.

Dinner account for the largest percentages of sodium at 43% and saturated fat is secondly largest percentage at 37%. Similarly lunch for the percentage of sodium at 29%, furthermore in saturated fat at 26%. Breakfast and snacks both account for the same proportion of sodium at 14%, while the figure for saturated fat are slightly higher for snacks at 21% and and for breakfast at 16%.

In terms of added sugar pateern is typically different, the highest percentages of snacks at 42%. Moreover, dinner is 23%. Lunch and breakfast contribute similar, smaller proportions at 19% and 16%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main contrasts accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar, and breakfast is generally low. Most figures are reported correctly, including 43%, 37%, 29%, and 42%. However, the statement that breakfast has the lowest proportion in all three nutrients is not fully accurate: breakfast and snacks tie for sodium at 14%, and breakfast and lunch tie for the lowest added-sugar share at 16% (the response later gives lunch as 19%, which is correct, but omits the chart’s 16% breakfast figure). The comparison of added sugar is also less fully developed. The response is five words below the 150-word minimum. A fuller account of the ties and a little more detail would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs, with the final paragraph focusing on added sugar. This makes the main message easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “In contrast,” and “In terms of” help signal shifts between points. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, “Similarly lunch for the percentage of sodium at 29%, furthermore in saturated fat at 26%” does not form a complete, clearly linked comparison. The repeated use of “at” and “while” also makes the detail paragraph feel list-like. Use complete comparative sentences and group figures by meal or nutrient more consistently to create smoother progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “account for,” “contribute,” and “highest,” and the reader can understand the intended comparisons. There is some repetition of “percentage” and “proportion,” however, and several word-choice or spelling problems reduce precision: “extensively” is not the most natural way to describe excessive nutrient consumption, “pateern” is misspelled, and “dinner is main source” needs a more suitable expression. These issues fit a response with an adequate but not yet consistently controlled range. Build a wider set of accurate chart-description phrases, such as “made up,” “represented,” and “the largest share,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “while” and the opening phrase “all of which may be unhealthy if eaten…”. The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some errors in sentence structure and agreement remain. For example, “The three pie chart compare” needs plural agreement, and “snack contain” and “breakfast contain” also require singular verb forms. “Dinner account for the largest percentages of sodium at 43% and saturated fat is secondly largest percentage” joins ideas awkwardly and lacks a clear grammatical comparison. Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention. Practise building complete sentences around each comparison, while retaining varied structures and checking subject–verb agreement.

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