Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-27

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 given pie charts illustrate the average poportion of different nutrients causing health issues if taken uncontrollably, received from various meals eaten in the USA.

Overall, the charts show signficant variations. It is evident that, sodium and saturated fat are mostly consumed in dinner whereas snack is the prime source of added sugar.

Dinner is the prime source of consuming sodium as it contribute 43%, followed by lunch just below one third of the total percentage. Breakfast and snack play similar role as a source of sodium each contributing 14%.

Saturated fat is mostly received from the dinner (37%). Lunch contributes to just under a quarter percentage, followed by snack (21%) and breakfast (16%). Snack is te main source of added sugar having the contribution of 42%. Nearly a quarter percentage of sugar is consumed from dinner. Lunch and breakfast also play role having a poportion of 19% and 16% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response identifies the main pattern accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. It also reports the key figures correctly, including sodium at 43% for dinner and added sugar at 42% for snacks, and makes relevant comparisons across meals. This gives the report a clear overview and covers all three nutrients. Some comparisons could be more precise: saturated fat at lunch is 26%, which is just over a quarter, not “just under a quarter.” The overview could also highlight the contrast between the relatively even distribution of added sugar and the dinner-heavy pattern for the other nutrients. These refinements would make the selection and comparison of key features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information is arranged in a clear sequence: an introduction, an overview, and then details about sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. This makes the report easy to follow, and phrases such as “followed by” and “whereas” help signal comparisons. The paragraphing also separates the overview from the supporting figures. However, cohesion is not always smooth: the final paragraph moves from saturated fat to added sugar without a clear transition, and repeated sentence openings such as “Dinner is…” and “Snack is…” make the progression somewhat mechanical. Some links between figures could be made more explicit, especially when comparing the meal distributions across nutrients. More varied transitions and tighter grouping of related comparisons would strengthen the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant topic vocabulary, including “nutrients,” “contribution,” “prime source” and “consumed,” so the meaning is generally clear. However, the range and control are limited by noticeable spelling errors such as “poportion,” “signficant” and “te,” as well as awkward or inaccurate collocations. For example, “received from various meals” and “prime source of consuming sodium” do not sound natural in this context; the chart shows the proportion of each nutrient accounted for by meals. “Uncontrollably” is also an imprecise substitute for the task’s idea of eating too much. Aim for accurate, natural phrases such as “the proportion of sodium in dinner” and “accounts for,” and proofread spelling carefully. This would make the report more precise and fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a mixture of simple and more complex structures, including “whereas snack is the prime source of added sugar” and “Breakfast and snack play similar role as a source of sodium.” The overall meaning remains understandable, but errors in agreement, articles and sentence construction are frequent enough to limit accuracy. For example, “it contribute 43%” should be “it contributes 43%,” and “play similar role” needs an article: “play a similar role.” The opening overview also has an unnecessary comma after “evident,” while “Lunch contributes to just under a quarter percentage” is grammatically awkward. Practise building accurate comparison sentences and checking subject–verb agreement, articles and punctuation. Greater control of these patterns would support the range already attempted.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.