Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-11-14

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The pie charts below show how working adults in a particular country spent their time in 1958 and 2008.

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

* Note: these aren’t the original diagrams given in the test, they were recreated for the purpose of demonstration.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The pie charts show how adults of a particular country spent their time in various activities in 1958 and 2008. It is evident that in 1958 adults consumed most of the time in working while in 2008 they spent 8% more time in working comparitively.

In 1958 proportion of working time was 33%, followed by sleeping at 32%. Furthermore they spent 19% of their time by going out with friends and family. While rest of the time was utilized in travelling to work and relaxing at home collectively ,at 10%.

On the other hand, in 2008, 42% time was spent in working that is more than the year 1958. Unlike working time, sleeping time was reduced in 2008 at 25%. In contrast, adults spent 13% of their time in relaxing at home. Overall, Going out with friends and family, travelling to work and playing sport occupied 20% of their time. So, people worked more in 2008 as compare to 1958.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast that working took the largest share in both years and increased, and you report several relevant figures accurately, including 33% and 42% for work and 32% and 25% for sleep. However, the overview is brief and does not clearly summarise the full pattern: for example, going out with friends and family fell sharply from 19% to 6%, while travel rose from 2% to 7%. The statement that the remaining activities occupied 10% in 1958 is accurate, but grouping them obscures their individual differences. In 2008, the combined 20% is correct, though the separate figures would make the comparison clearer. Develop the overview around the major rises and falls, then support it with selected individual data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph about 1958, and a paragraph about 2008. This helps the reader follow the year-by-year account, and phrases such as “On the other hand” and “In contrast” signal comparisons. However, progression is somewhat mechanical, and some links do not express a clear contrast or relationship. The opening repeats the idea that working increased, which is stated again at the end, while the overview does not guide the reader through the main changes. The sentence beginning “While rest of the time” is also awkwardly attached to the preceding information. Organise the body around the most important comparisons and use linking phrases only where they clarify how the figures relate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “occupied,” “reduced,” and “collectively,” and the reader can generally understand the activities and comparisons. However, several word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise, such as “consumed most of the time in working,” “time was utilized in travelling,” and “spent 8% more time in working comparitively.” The spelling of “comparitively” is also incorrect, and “playing sport” does not match the chart label as naturally as “playing sports.” Repetition of “time was spent” limits the range. Aim for standard chart-reporting expressions such as “accounted for,” “the share devoted to,” and “rose from … to …,” while checking spelling and collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, and most of the figures remain understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and punctuation recur. For example, “In 1958 proportion of working time was 33%” needs an article, and “While rest of the time was utilized…” is a fragment rather than a complete sentence. The construction “42% time was spent in working that is more than the year 1958” is also awkwardly joined and lacks clear punctuation. There are inconsistent spaces around commas, and the final comparison, “as compare to 1958,” has an incorrect grammatical form. Use complete sentences with clear clause boundaries, and check articles, verb forms, and punctuation when revising.

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

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