Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-03

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 chart illustrates the average percentages of nutrients like sodium, saturated fats and added sugar in typical meals, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.

Overall, the meals that a person usually takes in a day are depicted in the chart such as snacks, breakfast, lunch and dinner. It seems all the three nutrients are more or less present in the daily meals.

Looking at the numbers, it is evident that breakfast meal holds the least quantity of the unhealthy nutrients among all the others, ranging from 14-16% only. On the other hand, dinner contributes more to the consumption of the elements comparative to other meals. However, the quantity of the nutrients in the afternoon meal tends to be almost the same, not differing much in range from 19-29%.

In comparison, the quantity of the nutrients in snacks meal varies distincty, giving it a leading head at added sugar. To be precise, added sugar is mostly present in high quantity in all the meals which is a matter of concern.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern that dinner accounts for the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while breakfast is lowest across the nutrients. The stated ranges for breakfast (14–16%) and lunch (19–29%) are accurate, and you also note that snacks lead for added sugar. However, the overview is vague: saying nutrients are “more or less present” does not summarise the key contrasts, and the claim that added sugar is high “in all the meals” is misleading because its share is especially high in snacks (42%), not uniformly high. Develop the comparisons by reporting the snack and dinner figures and distinguishing the three nutrient patterns more clearly; some relevant features are currently less fully explained than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape, moving from an introduction and overview to comparisons, and paragraph breaks help separate these functions. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “On the other hand,” and “In comparison” make the direction of the discussion easy to follow. However, some connections are mechanical or imprecise: “In comparison” does not clearly state what is being compared, while “To be precise” introduces a claim without a supporting figure. The overview also repeats the idea that the chart includes the four meals rather than establishing a useful progression of the main findings. Organise the body around the contrasting patterns—dinner for sodium and saturated fat, snacks for sugar—and use references that make each comparison explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “average percentages,” “consumption,” “quantity,” and “varies,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “contributes more” and “evident.” Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “breakfast meal holds the least quantity” is awkward, “comparative to” is not the appropriate form, and “leading head” does not express the intended idea. “Distincty” is also misspelled, and “elements” is too vague for the nutrients being discussed. Aim for precise chart language and natural collocations, such as “accounts for the smallest share,” “compared with,” and “the highest proportion.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, including the subordinate clause in “all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much” and the contrast introduced by “On the other hand.” Most sentences remain understandable, and grammatical errors do not obstruct the message. Some sentence patterns are less well controlled: “the meals that a person usually takes in a day are depicted … such as snacks” has an unclear construction, and “the quantity … tends to be almost the same, not differing much in range” is awkwardly formed. The final sentence also shifts from comparing chart data to a general concern without a clear grammatical link. Build more accurate comparisons with structures such as “Dinner accounts for 43% of sodium, compared with 29% at lunch.”

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