Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-04

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.

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

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The three pie chart illustrate the average proportions of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar contained in typical meals consumed in the USA.

Overall, dinner accounts dor the largest proportions of both sodium and saturated fat, whereas snacks contain by far highest percentage of added sugar. In contrast, while lunch has relaatively moderate proprotions of all three nutrients.

Dinner contains the highest proportion of sodium, at 43% followed by lunch at 29%. Breakfast and snacks each account for 14% of sodium intake. A similar pattern can be seen for saturated fat, with dinner again making up the largest share, at 37%, while lunch accounts for 26%. Snacks contribute 21%, and breakfast has the smallest proportion, at 16%.

The distribution of added sugar is noticeably different. Snacks are responsible for 42%, which is almost twice the proportion found in dinner, at 23%. Lunch contributes a further 19%, while breakfast accounts for the smallest share of added sugar, at 16%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response covers all parts of the task well, successfully presenting an overview and reporting the key features and comparisons from the charts. The introduction correctly identifies the three charts and the nutrients displayed, and an overall trend is clearly stated in the second paragraph, noting that dinner dominates sodium and saturated fat while snacks lead in added sugar. Key figures are accurately reported, such as dinner accounting for 43% of sodium and snacks making up 42% of added sugar. The ideas are well extended and supported with relevant data. To reach the highest bands, the overview could be slightly more integrated, and some minor grammatical or phrasing slips in the supporting sentences could be avoided to ensure complete precision throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

There is a clear logical organization and progression throughout the response. The information is divided into logical paragraphs: an introduction, an overview paragraph, a body paragraph detailing sodium and saturated fat, and a final paragraph dedicated to added sugar. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to guide the reader through the comparisons, such as 'whereas', 'in contrast', and 'a similar pattern can be seen'. However, the sentence 'In contrast, while lunch has relaatively moderate proprotions of all three nutrients' is left incomplete as a dependent clause, which slightly disrupts the flow. To achieve a higher band, referencing and cohesion could be managed with even greater flexibility, and every sentence must be structurally complete to maintain seamless progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'proportions', 'accounts for', 'distribution', and 'contributes'. Less common items are attempted with some success, and the word choices are generally clear enough to communicate the intended data without impeding the reader. However, there are a few spelling and typographical errors, such as 'chart' instead of 'charts', 'dor' instead of 'for', 'highest' missing an article ('by far the highest'), and 'relaatively' and 'proprotions' having typos. Furthermore, the collocation 'by far highest percentage' lacks an article. These minor lexical and mechanical errors keep the response at the current level, and eliminating them would allow for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like relative clauses and comparative constructions effectively. There are several error-free sentences, particularly in the detailed body paragraphs where figures are reported. However, some grammatical errors persist, most notably the fragment in the overview paragraph ('In contrast, while lunch has relaatively moderate proprotions of all three nutrients'), which lacks a main clause. Additionally, subject-verb agreement or article omissions occasionally occur, such as omitting 'the' before 'three pie chart'. These errors rarely impede communication, but they prevent the grammar score from rising higher due to a lack of consistent control over complex multi-clause sentences.

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