Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-22

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 6.5)

The three pie charts illustrate the proportion of sodium, saturated fat and added sugars in typically meals consumed in the USA.

Overall, dinner is the largest source of both sodium and saturated fat,

whereas snacks contribute the most to added sugar. Breakfast provides the smallest share of sodium, and lunch contributes the least and added sugar.

Looking first at sodium, dinners account for 43% of the considerabely more than lunch (29%). Breakfast and snacks each make up the smallest proportion, at the 14%.

A simillar pattern seen for saturated fat: dinner again provides the largest share at 37%. followed by lunch at 26%. Snacks contribute21%, while breakfast is the smallest part at 16%.

By contrast, the main source of added sugar is snacks, which makes, 42%, Dinner contributes 23% and lunch 19%,while breakfast to provides the least added sugar at 16%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all three categories from the charts, accurately identifying dinner as the primary source of sodium and saturated fat, and snacks as the highest source of added sugar. A clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the main trends effectively. Key data points such as 43% for sodium at dinner and 42% for added sugar in snacks are correctly reported and compared. However, there are minor data citation errors, such as stating that lunch contributes the least to added sugar when breakfast actually ties or contributes the least depending on the reading, and a missing number in 'at the 14%'. Additionally, the word count requirement of 150 words was not met, as the response contains only 141 words, resulting in a slight penalty for Task Achievement under-length criteria.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overall overview paragraph, and separate body paragraphs dedicated to each nutrient. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through comparisons, such as 'Looking first at sodium', 'A similar pattern seen for saturated fat', and 'By contrast'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. However, there are minor cohesion and referencing flaws, such as 'contributes the least and added sugar' (missing preposition/conjunction) and some slightly mechanical transitions. Overall arrangement is coherent and easy to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, employing terms like 'proportion', 'contribute', 'account for', and 'source'. Less common vocabulary is attempted, though with spelling and word choice errors, such as 'considerabely' (considerably) and 'simillar' (similar). There are also minor collocational slips, such as 'breakfast to provides'. Despite these errors, the lexical range is sufficient to convey the main features and comparisons clearly without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including comparative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases. There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include typos and structural mistakes like 'in typically meals' (typical meals), 'at the 14%' (at 14%), 'A simillar pattern seen' (A similar pattern is seen), and 'which makes, 42%' (which makes up 42%). While these errors occur fairly frequently, they do not impede communication, placing the response solidly in the Band 6 territory for grammar.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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