Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-31

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 chart illustrates the average proportion of sodium, saturated fats and added sugar in typical meals eaten in the USA, divided in the breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Overall, dinner is the main leading source in sodium and saturated fats, while snacks contributes biggest proportion of added sugar. breakfast is generally the main meal with the lowest per percentages.

looking at sodium, dinner is by far the main source with 43%. lunch is on the second with 29%. breakfast and snacks both are equal, each making up just 14%. The similar pattern can been seen in the saturated fats, dinner again with highest shares at 37%, while lunch accounts for 26%. followed by snacks at 21%. breakfast has the lowest shares accounting for only 16%.

In contrast, the disttubution od added sugar is quite different, snacks was the main leading source with highest proportion at 42%, which almost double the figure of the dinner (23%). both breakfast and dinner contributes much less with 16% and 19% Respectively.

In conclusion, main meals especially dinner, provides most of the sodium and saturated fats, but sugar is mostly consumed through snacks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response selects the main patterns accurately: dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. The key figures are also reported correctly, including the equal 14% shares for sodium at breakfast and snacks and the 42% snack figure for sugar. The overview is clear and the final sentence reinforces the contrast between dinner and snacks. This gives the report a strong, relevant account of the charts. To make the coverage more fully developed, avoid the imprecise claim that breakfast is generally the meal with the lowest percentages: it is tied with snacks for sodium, and breakfast is lower than snacks for saturated fat but not for added sugar. A more exact overview would capture these exceptions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The report has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, separate discussion of sodium and saturated fat, and a contrast for added sugar. This makes the main comparisons easy to follow, and phrases such as “In contrast” help signal the shift in pattern. The final sentence also provides a useful summary. However, progression is weakened by inconsistent capitalisation after full stops and by some awkward linking, such as “lunch is on the second” and “followed by snacks,” which leaves the relationship between clauses less smooth. The conclusion largely repeats the overview rather than adding a final comparison. More consistent paragraphing and clearer sentence links would make the organisation more polished and cohesion less noticeable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “accounts for,” “making up,” “shares,” and “distribution,” so the reader can understand the comparisons. There is also some attempt to vary phrasing rather than repeat one reporting verb. However, several word-choice and collocation problems make the language noticeably imprecise: “main leading source” is redundant, “on the second” is unnatural, and “lowest per percentages” is not an appropriate expression. Spelling errors such as “disttubution” and “od” further reduce accuracy. Aim for a smaller set of reliable academic reporting phrases and check spelling and collocations carefully; this will improve precision without requiring more elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts both simple statements and longer comparative structures, for example, “while snacks contributes biggest proportion of added sugar” and the sentence contrasting snack sugar with dinner. The overall meaning remains understandable, but grammatical control is inconsistent. Subject–verb agreement errors include “snacks contributes” and “breakfast and dinner contributes”; the latter also mismatches the plural subject. There are problems with articles and sentence construction in “lunch is on the second,” while “breakfast is generally the main meal with the lowest…” is awkwardly formed. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, including lowercase sentence openings and the full stop before “followed by snacks.” Practise accurate agreement and complete sentence structures before adding more complex clauses.

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