Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-05

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.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The given chart describes the average percentage of sodium, saturated fat and sugar in typical meals consumed in the United States of America.

Overall, the percentage of the sodium, saturated fats and sugars in typical meals are greater than all the other meals consumed in the USA. The percentage of the saturated fat in dinner is greater than the sugar but smaller than the sodium . The sodium is the most used ingredient in the dinner meals. On the other hand, the percentage of the sugar is greater in the snacks which is different from the usage of the other products in the USA.

The sodium is mostly used in the dinner with the greater percentage after that comes the lunch which is 29% then comes the breakfast and snacks that have the same percentage respectively. Whereas, the saturated fat is also consumed in good quantity as the percentage of the dinner is higher than the lunch. But, the usage of the saturated fat in breakfast is 16% and in snacks it is 21%.

The sugar has the major consumption in the snacks which plays the key role. However, the consumption of sugar in breakfast remains the same as the saturated fat. The percentage of the sugar is 19% in the lunch and 23% in the dinner in the USA.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the chart’s subject and report several accurate comparisons, including dinner as the highest meal for sodium (43%) and saturated fat (37%), and snacks as the highest for added sugar (42%). You also include the lunch, breakfast and snack figures for each nutrient, so the main categories are covered. However, the overview is unclear and contains a misleading claim: “the percentage … in typical meals are greater than all the other meals” does not describe a meaningful comparison. The statement that sodium is the “most used ingredient” also misrepresents a percentage share. Make the overview more precise by stating the contrasting peaks—dinner for sodium and saturated fat, snacks for added sugar—and clarify that these are proportions of each nutrient across meals.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and separate paragraphs for the nutrient details. This gives the reader a generally coherent route through the information. However, progression is weakened by repetitive sequencing such as “after that comes” and “then comes,” and by frequent contrast markers (“On the other hand,” “Whereas,” “But,” “However”) where a simpler link would be clearer. Some references are also difficult to follow, particularly “the other products” and “the usage of the other products,” since the comparison is between meal categories and nutrient shares. Group the key comparisons more directly and use clear references such as “these nutrients” or “the corresponding figures” to make the relationships easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “sodium,” “saturated fat,” “percentage,” and “consumption,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited by repeated use of “percentage,” “used,” “usage” and “consumed,” while several combinations are not natural for describing chart data. For example, sodium is not an “ingredient” that is “mostly used”; the chart shows its share across meal types. “Consumed in good quantity” is also vague, and “plays the key role” does not precisely describe the largest proportion. Choose concise reporting language such as “accounted for,” “represented,” and “the highest share,” and vary it without forcing synonyms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including comparisons with “whereas” and “which,” and most of the data remains understandable. Some grammatical errors nevertheless reduce accuracy. In “the percentage … are greater,” the singular subject “percentage” requires “is”; “the percentage of the sugar is greater in the snacks” would be clearer as “the share of added sugar is highest in snacks.” There are also awkward or incomplete comparison patterns, such as “higher than the lunch,” and punctuation spacing is inconsistent, as in “sodium .” and “the usage.” Aim for cleaner sentence structures and check subject–verb agreement, articles and comparison forms. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen control.

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