Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-28

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 7.5)

The 3 pie charts illustrate the mean proportion of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in meals generally consumed in the USA.

Overall, dinner accounts for the greatest share of sodium and saturated fats while added sugar is primarily present in snacks. Breakfast includes the least amount of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in general.

The greatest percentage of sodium is found in dinner items at 41%, followed by 29% in lunch. Breakfast and snack accounts for the lowest share of sodium at only 14% each. Similarly, in case of saturated fat, dinner yet again comprises of the highest proportion at 37%, while lunch accounts for 26%, followed by snack at 21%. Breakfast represents less than 1/5th of saturated fat, at 16% only.

However, snack products account for the greatest share of added sugar at a whopping 42% while breakfast includes only 16% - the lowest percent again. 19% of added sugar is consumed through lunch while 23% is consumed through dinner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response identifies the main patterns clearly: 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 accurately, including the 29% sodium share at lunch and the saturated-fat and added-sugar values. However, dinner’s sodium figure is given as 41%, whereas the chart shows 43%. The overview’s claim that breakfast has the least added sugar is also not quite accurate: breakfast is lowest at 16%, but it ties with breakfast only in the sense that it is the smallest meal category; the other figures are higher, so this is correct as a ranking. To strengthen the report further, ensure every figure is checked and make comparisons across the three nutrients more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The information is organised in a clear, effective sequence: an introduction, a concise overview, then details on sodium and saturated fat followed by added sugar. This progression makes the comparisons easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Similarly,” and “However” help signal shifts between points. The final paragraph also contrasts the snack figure with the other meal categories. To make cohesion even more polished, avoid relying on a small set of transition words and connect related comparisons more directly—for example, compare dinner’s leading shares for sodium and saturated fat in one sentence, then contrast this with snacks’ leading share of added sugar. Paragraphing is appropriate and the report remains focused throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

There is a good range of task-appropriate vocabulary, including “mean proportion,” “greatest share,” “comprises,” and “accounts for,” which allows the writer to describe the chart without excessive repetition. The language is generally clear and shows some flexibility in phrasing. A few choices are less natural or precise for an academic report: “dinner items” and “snack products” suggest specific foods rather than meal categories, while “a whopping 42%” is informal and evaluative. “Breakfast includes” is also less exact than describing the percentage attributed to breakfast. Aim for consistently neutral chart language and use “share,” “proportion,” or “contribution” accurately. These occasional collocational and register issues keep the vocabulary from being fully natural and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response uses a mix of simple and more developed sentence structures, and many sentences are grammatically clear, such as “Overall, dinner accounts for the greatest share…” and the comparisons in the final paragraph. There are, however, a few errors in agreement and construction. In “Breakfast and snack accounts,” the plural subject requires “account”; “dinner yet again comprises of” has an incorrect verb pattern, since “comprises” does not take “of”; and “Breakfast represents less than 1/5th of saturated fat, at 16% only” is awkwardly ordered. The sentence structures are otherwise varied and meaning remains clear. Check subject–verb agreement and verb complementation, and revise less natural sentence endings to improve control.

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