Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-06

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 given pie charts illustrate the average percentage of sodium, saturated fat and sugar added in typical meals consumed in the USA.

Overall, Sodium and saturated fat is consumed mainly through the dinner whereas sugar is mostly added in snacks. All three types were less added in Breakfast.However, these were notably added in other meals as well.

Firstly, sodium and saturated fat added in dinner accounted for 43% and 37% respectively. In contrast sugar was mainly added in snacks, accounted for 42%. Interestingly sodium, saturated fat and sugar were added in least amount in breakfast, 14%,16% and 16% respectively.

However, proportion of sodium and saturated fat added in lunch decreased to 29% and 26% respectively. Around 14% of sodium and 21% of saturated fat were added in snacks. Finally, around 23% of sugar added in dinner whereas in lunch 19% of sugar was added. Percentage of sugar added in breakfast was 16%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by covering the three nutrients across all four meal categories. A clear overview is provided, noting that sodium and saturated fat peak at dinner while added sugar is highest in snacks, and that breakfast generally has the lowest percentages. Key features and comparisons are reported adequately, such as highlighting that sodium and saturated fat added in dinner accounted for 43% and 37% respectively, and that sugar in snacks reached 42%. However, there is a slight tendency to over-generalise or mechanically list data points in the body paragraphs without fully extending every comparison, which keeps the response at this level. To reach a higher band, the writer would need to integrate the data more fluidly and provide deeper, more insightful comparative analysis across all categories.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear division into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and detailed body paragraphs. Information is logically sequenced, beginning with a summary of the main trends before moving into specific figures. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'Firstly', 'In contrast', and 'However', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive in structure. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the ideas, but referencing and logical progression between sentences occasionally become a bit disjointed, particularly in the final paragraph where data points are listed somewhat abruptly. To improve further, the writer should ensure that cohesive links flow more naturally and that the relationships between data points are seamlessly connected without relying heavily on simple sequential markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully using terms such as 'illustrate', 'proportion', 'respectively', and nutrient names like 'sodium', 'saturated fat', and 'added sugar'. There are successful attempts to use less common vocabulary, and word choices generally communicate the intended meaning clearly. However, there are some minor lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as writing 'sugar added in dinner' instead of 'sugar added to dinner' or 'consumed mainly through the dinner', and minor word form issues. These errors do not impede communication, placing the response solidly in this band. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to demonstrate greater precision in collocation and a wider, more flexible range of sophisticated vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and comparative structures. There is good control over basic sentence patterns, and meaning is generally clear despite the presence of grammatical errors. Notable errors include missing articles ('percentage of sodium', 'proportion of sodium'), preposition choices ('added in dinner' rather than 'at dinner' or 'to dinner'), and minor punctuation or capitalization slips, such as 'Breakfast.However'. While these errors occur, they are not overly frequent and rarely impede communication. To reach the next level, the writer must incorporate a wider variety of complex structures with greater frequency and eliminate basic grammatical slips to achieve higher error-free sentence density.

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

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