Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-25
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 pie charts compare the average percentages of three different nutrients in four types of meals in the USA that are considered unhealthy if consumed in excessive amounts.
Overall, Sodium and Saturated fats account for the highest ratio in dinner, whereas snack contains the largest amount of added sugar. In contrast, sodium in snacks and breakfast showed the lowest proportion.
Looking at sodium and saturated fats in detail, dinner accounts for the largest proportion of sodium and saturated fats at 43% and 37% respectively, lunch also contains a substantial percentage making 29% of sodium and 26% of saturated fats. In contrast, breakfast and snacks contributed the least, each accounting for 14% in sodium and 21% of saturated fat in snacks and 16% in breakfast.
Turning to added sugar, a completely different pattern is visible. Snack contains 42% of added sugar, whereas dinner accounts for only 23%. Meanwhile, lunch contributed 19% of it. The lowest percentage of added sugar was seen in breakfast at 16% only.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response effectively covers all parts of the task by summarizing the main features of the charts and making relevant comparisons. The overview accurately highlights the key trends, noting that dinner is highest in sodium and saturated fats, whereas snacks dominate in added sugar. Specific figures are well integrated to support the analysis, such as dinner accounting for 43% of sodium and snacks comprising 42% of added sugar. The data is reported accurately with only minor phrasing slips, demonstrating a clear understanding of the visual information.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized and presents a clear progression throughout. It opens with an appropriate introduction and overview, moves into a detailed discussion of sodium and saturated fats, and concludes with a separate paragraph for added sugar. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Looking at sodium and saturated fats in detail' and 'Turning to added sugar', which helps guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct conceptual categories of data.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms like 'proportion', 'substantial percentage', and 'consume'. There are some slight lexical or collocation issues, such as writing 'whereas snack contains' (singular instead of plural or missing article) and 'making 29% of sodium' instead of 'accounting for'. However, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning with good precision in most places.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with good control over overall sentence structure. Examples such as 'The pie charts compare the average percentages...' and 'dinner accounts for the largest proportion... respectively' demonstrate competence. There are a few minor grammatical lapses, such as subject-verb agreement ('whereas snack contains') and slight punctuation or preposition inconsistencies, but these errors do not impede communication and the majority of sentences are grammatically sound.
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