Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-30

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 proportion in three different types of nutrient meals that if eaten too much may be cause unhealthy.

Overall, sodium and saturated fat have same pattern and dinner has the highest proportion. In contrast, added sugar looks different, consist of highest proportion of snack.

In sodium, dinner has the highest percentage at 43%. Lunch accounted for 29% of the sodium. Whereas, snack and breakfast both represented the same proportion at 14%. In saturated fat, dinner recorded the highest percentage, at 37% and lunch has 26% of the total. Breakfast and snack represented 16% and 21% respectively.

In added sugar, the proportion of snack accounted for the highest at 42% Dinner recorded 23% in the added sugar. Whereas, the proportion of lunch accounted for 19% and breakfast is 16%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks contribute the most added sugar. The figures you report are consistent with the charts, including the equal 14% shares for sodium at breakfast and in snacks. However, the overview could compare the distributions more fully, and the final paragraph gives less detail about added sugar than the other nutrients. The response also contains 132 words, below the required 150, so the report is under-length and some comparisons remain under-developed. To strengthen coverage, include the remaining added-sugar figures and briefly compare how its snack share contrasts with the dinner-led patterns for the other nutrients.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for sodium and saturated fat, followed by added sugar. This makes the information easy to locate. Some linking is effective, particularly “In contrast” to signal the different added-sugar pattern. However, transitions are sometimes mechanical or incomplete: “Whereas” begins a sentence fragment after the sodium figures, and the added-sugar paragraph uses another “Whereas” without a fully balanced construction. The repeated “In…” openings also make the progression somewhat formulaic. Connect related comparisons within complete sentences and use clearer links between the nutrient groups to make the report flow more smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary such as “proportion,” “percentage,” “accounted for,” and “represented,” and the meaning of the data is generally clear. There is some repetition of “highest percentage” and “proportion,” however, and several word combinations are unnatural or imprecise. For example, “three different types of nutrient meals” confuses nutrients with meals, while “may be cause unhealthy” does not express the task wording accurately. “Looks different” is also informal for an academic report. Aim for precise terms such as “nutrients,” “meal categories,” and “the distribution differs,” and vary reporting verbs without forcing synonyms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple statements and more complex comparisons, and most of the numerical information remains understandable. However, some grammatical errors are noticeable. The opening clause, “three different types of nutrient meals that if eaten too much may be cause unhealthy,” is not a complete or well-formed construction. There are also tense and sentence-boundary problems, such as “lunch has 26%” amid past-tense reporting and “Whereas” used to start a fragment. The final sentence lacks a full stop. Use complete clauses, maintain a consistent past tense for chart reporting, and check punctuation. For example, combine the sodium comparison into one sentence rather than separating it with a fragment.

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.