Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-04

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 chart shows the average percantages of three types of nutrients (sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars.) consumed in reuglar meals in the United States.

Overall, sodium and saturated fats are mostly consumed in dinner, while added sugar are included more in snacks. Moreover, breakfast has the least ammount of these nutrients amongst the four meals.

Sodium is clearly consumed the most in dinner, with 43% compared to the other meals, while there is a tie between breakfast and snacks with both of them having a 14% consuming percentage. In contrast, added sugar is included the most in snacks having a 42% consuming percentage and the lowest in breakfast containing only 16%, while dinner and lunch are approximetaly the same with lunch having 19% and dinner containing 23%.

Saturated fat is spreaded almost equally between the four meals, with dinner having 37%, 26% in lunch, 21% and 16% in snacks and breakfast.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main contrasts accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead for added sugar. The overview also notes breakfast’s generally low contribution, and the figures you give for sodium and added sugar match the chart. This covers the task well, though some comparisons are less fully developed. In particular, the claim that breakfast has the least of all three nutrients is not quite accurate: breakfast and snacks tie for the lowest sodium share, and breakfast is lowest for saturated fat and added sugar. The saturated-fat paragraph reports the figures but does not clearly compare them with the other nutrients. A more precise overview and a clearer comparison of all three patterns would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for sodium and added sugar, followed by saturated fat. This makes the information easy to locate, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “while,” and “In contrast” help signal comparisons. The progression is generally logical, but some connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, the final sentence lists saturated-fat figures in a confusing order, and “21% and 16% in snacks and breakfast” makes the mapping harder to follow. The overview’s broad statement about breakfast also does not align neatly with the sodium tie described later. Grouping the data more consistently and using clearer references between comparisons would make cohesion more flexible and precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “average percentages,” “compared to,” “tie,” and “included,” so the main information remains understandable. However, the range and control of word choice are uneven, with several spelling errors and unnatural collocations that limit precision. Examples include “percantages,” “reuglar,” “ammount,” and “approximetaly”; these errors are noticeable in a short report. Phrases such as “43% consuming percentage” and “spreaded almost equally” are also not natural ways to describe chart data. Prefer concise, conventional expressions such as “accounted for 43%” and “was distributed across meals.” Accurate spelling and more idiomatic reporting language would make the description clearer and more appropriate to an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including comparisons with “while” and “in contrast,” and most of the intended meaning can be followed. Some grammatical errors remain, but they rarely prevent understanding. For example, “added sugar are included” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “breakfast has the least amount … amongst the four meals” is awkwardly constructed. The long sentence beginning “In contrast, added sugar…” also contains several clauses that would be clearer if divided or punctuated more carefully. In the final sentence, the list structure is incomplete and makes the relationship between the percentages and meals difficult to parse. Aim for more controlled sentence boundaries and check agreement and parallel structure.

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