Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-19

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 depict how much amounts of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar in typical meals consumed in the USA.

In general, it can be seen that the amount of sodium and saturated fat was the highest in dinner, while snacks had maximum amount of sugar. In addition, the proportion of three nutrients was the lowest in breakfast.

Looking at the charts for more detail, breakfast contained 14% of sodium, while it had similar proportion of saturated fat and added sugar, which was 16%. Moreover, the amount of sodium in lunch was 29%, whereas the percentage of saturated fat and added sugar was 26% and 19% respectively. Although dinner had only 23% of added sugar, it contained maximum amount of sodium and saturated fat, which was 43% and 37%.

What is more, the percentage of added sugar in snacks was 42, which was the highest, while the percentage of sodium and saturated fat stood at 14% and 21% .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response identifies the main pattern accurately: dinner has the highest shares of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks lead in added sugar. It also reports the key figures for all four meal types, and the comparisons for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks match the chart. This gives the reader a clear account of the data and a relevant overview. However, the overview says that all three nutrients are lowest at breakfast, which is not quite accurate: sodium is equally low in breakfast and snacks, at 14%. The report could also make the overall contrasts more explicit, such as comparing dinner’s 43% sodium with snacks’ 14%, or noting that added sugar rises from breakfast to snacks. These small limitations keep the summary from being fully precise and developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence: an introduction, a general overview, and then details grouped by meal. The paragraph beginning “Looking at the charts for more detail” moves through breakfast, lunch and dinner, while the final paragraph covers snacks, so the reader can follow the comparisons. Linking expressions such as “In general,” “Moreover,” and “Although” help signal relationships. At times, however, the connections feel somewhat mechanical, and the final paragraph is very short compared with the preceding detail paragraph. The overview’s claim that breakfast is lowest across all nutrients also creates a slight mismatch with the later data, where snacks share the lowest sodium figure. More balanced grouping and clearer cross-meal comparisons would make progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “contained,” and “maximum,” and the meaning remains clear throughout. There is some variation in how the figures are described, rather than relying on one repeated verb. However, several phrases are awkward or imprecise, such as “how much amounts of sodium,” “had maximum amount,” and “the percentage of added sugar in snacks was 42.” The last expression should identify the figure as a percentage, and “maximum” is less natural than “highest” in these comparisons. More precise collocations and consistent use of terms such as “share” or “proportion” would improve fluency and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

There is a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “Although dinner had only 23% of added sugar, it contained maximum amount of sodium and saturated fat.” Most sentences communicate the intended comparisons, and the use of past-tense verbs is generally consistent. Some grammatical errors remain, however. The opening phrase “how much amounts” has an incorrect construction, and “had maximum amount” is missing an article. In “the percentage of added sugar in snacks was 42,” the noun phrase needs a clearer grammatical completion, such as “was 42%.” Punctuation is also inconsistent, with a space before the final full stop. Greater accuracy in articles and sentence phrasing, alongside the existing range, would strengthen control.

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

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