Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-07-28
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 8.0)
The pie charts compares the average proportions of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar contained in four typical meals consumed in USA, namely breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Overall, dinner contributes the largest share of both sodium and saturated fat intake, whereas snacks account highest proportion of added sugar. In contrast, breakfast consistently contains the lowest percentage across all three nutrients.
Regarding sodium, dinner makes up the largest proportion at 43%, followed by lunch at 29%. By comparison, breakfast and snacks each account only for 14%, making them the least significant contributors to sodium intake.
A similar pattern can be observed for saturated fat. Dinner again represents the highest percentage, at 37, while lunch contributes 26%. Snacks are responsible for 21%, whereas breakfast has the smallest share, at just 16%.
The distribution of added sugar differs considerably from the other two nutrients. Snacks dominate this category, according for 42% of total added sugar consumption, which is almost double the figure for dinner 23%. Lunch and breakfast contribute relatively modest proportion, at 19% and 16%,repectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 8.0 |
| Overall | 8.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5
The response effectively addresses all requirements of the task. You have successfully identified the main features of the data and provided relevant comparisons between the three nutrients across the four meal types. The overview is clear and highlights the most significant trends, such as dinner's dominance in sodium and saturated fat, and snacks' prominence in added sugar. The data is accurately reported, and the comparisons are logical and well-supported by the figures provided. You have covered all parts of the prompt well, ensuring the reader has a clear understanding of the information presented in the charts.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5
The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for each nutrient category. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you have used cohesive devices effectively to link sentences and paragraphs, such as 'Regarding sodium', 'A similar pattern', and 'In contrast'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different aspects of the data. The flow of information is natural, and the relationship between the different meal categories is easy to follow throughout the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.5
You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data accurately, including terms like 'proportions', 'contributors', 'dominates', and 'modest'. While the vocabulary is generally accurate and appropriate for an academic report, there are a few minor slips, such as 'according for' instead of 'accounting for' and 'repectively' which is a spelling error. However, these do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or varied synonyms to describe trends and proportions more dynamically.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0
The response demonstrates a good control of grammatical structures. You have used a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively. There are a few minor errors, such as the missing 'the' before 'highest' in the second paragraph ('account highest proportion') and the omission of a preposition or article in 'at 37' (should be 'at 37%'). Despite these occasional slips, the majority of your sentences are error-free, and the punctuation is generally accurate. The grammatical control is strong enough to ensure that the meaning is always clear to the reader.
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