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.
Sample Response
The given pie charts provide information about the average proportions in four typical meals of three different kinds of nutrients (Sodium, Saturated fats, and Added sugars), the overconsumption of which can have pernicious effects on health.
Overall, it is evident that while the levels of sodium and saturated fat in dinner are the highest, the opposite is true for breakfast. Meanwhile, snack contains the highest proportion of added sugar amongst the four examined meals.
According to the charts, dinner and lunch have the largest proportions of both sodium (43% for dinner and 29% for lunch) and saturated fat (37% for dinner and 26% for lunch). In contrast, the figures for added sugar in an average meal for dinner and lunch are much lower, with 23% and 19% respectively.
With regards to snack and breakfast, they are both made up of 14% sodium. As for saturated fats, the average percentage in snack is 21%, slightly higher than that in breakfast, at 16%. In terms of added sugars, a considerable disparity can be seen in the figures for snack and breakfast, with 42% for the former and only 16% for the latter.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use consistent nutrient names Original: Sodium, Saturated fats, and Added sugars Suggested revision: sodium, saturated fat and added sugar Why it matters: These common nutrient names should be lowercase and match the singular chart labels.
- 2. Use precise register Original: pernicious Suggested revision: harmful Why it matters: Harmful is clearer and more natural for paraphrasing the task statement.
- 3. State the comparison precisely Original: the opposite is true for breakfast Suggested revision: breakfast has the joint-lowest sodium share and the lowest saturated-fat share Why it matters: Breakfast ties with snacks for sodium, so calling it simply the opposite obscures an important detail.
- 4. Use the category naturally Original: snack contains Suggested revision: snacks account for Why it matters: The chart category is naturally expressed in the plural, and account for fits a percentage share.
- 5. Clarify what percentages mean Original: figures for added sugar in an average meal for dinner and lunch Suggested revision: shares of added sugar attributed to dinner and lunch Why it matters: The charts show each meal's share of total nutrient intake rather than the composition of one average meal.
- 6. Use fixed expression Original: regards Suggested revision: regard Why it matters: With regard to is the standard fixed expression in this context.
- 7. Match the chart label Original: fats Suggested revision: fat Why it matters: The chart labels this nutrient with the singular mass noun saturated fat.
- 8. Use plural meal category Original: snack Suggested revision: snacks Why it matters: Snacks is the meal category used in the chart and fits the generic reference here.
- 9. Sentence rewrite Original: According to the charts, dinner and lunch have the largest proportions of both sodium (43% for dinner and 29% for lunch) and saturated fat (37% for dinner and 26% for lunch). Suggested revision: According to the charts, dinner has the largest shares of sodium and saturated fat, at 43% and 37%, while lunch has the second-largest shares, at 29% and 26% respectively. Why it matters: Only dinner has the largest proportions; lunch ranks second for both nutrients.
- 10. Sentence rewrite Original: With regards to snack and breakfast, they are both made up of 14% sodium. Suggested revision: Snacks and breakfast each account for 14% of total sodium intake. Why it matters: The chart shows shares of total sodium intake, not that each meal is composed of 14% sodium.
Suggested Rewrites
- Sodium, Saturated fats, and Added sugars sodium, saturated fat and added sugar
- pernicious harmful
- the opposite is true for breakfast breakfast has the joint-lowest sodium share and the lowest saturated-fat share
- snack contains snacks account for
- figures for added sugar in an average meal for dinner and lunch shares of added sugar attributed to dinner and lunch
- regards regard
Why this response received Band 8.5
The response gives a complete, accurate account of the three charts, supported by a sharply focused overview and well-selected comparisons across all four meals. Organisation, vocabulary, and grammar are consistently strong, with only very minor phrasing issues; the highest-priority refinement is to describe the meal categories more naturally and keep terminology such as 'snacks' and nutrient names fully consistent.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The overview identifies all major patterns, and the detailed paragraphs accurately report and compare every percentage shown in the charts.
Preserve this comprehensive selection while making explicit that the percentages show the distribution of each nutrient across meals.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response progresses logically from overview to two well-grouped detail paragraphs, with clear referencing and cohesive comparison.
Refine the paragraph openings so they foreground the comparison being made rather than relying on routine linking phrases.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and flexible, with effective language for proportions, contrast, and substantial differences.
Use the chart label 'snacks' consistently and prefer the standard phrase 'with regard to' for maximum naturalness.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is handled accurately, and the few minor phrasing lapses do not affect clarity.
Check agreement when meal labels act as categories, using plural forms such as 'snacks contain' where appropriate.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
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.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.