Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-07-25

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 8.0)

The pie charts depict the time spent on different activities by working adults in a country in two years: 1958 and 2008.

Overall, the time spent on work increased in the span of 6 decades, while the time spent on sleeping and socializing with friends and family decreased. In addition to that, relaxation at home became a more popular activity among working adults.

In 1958, people dedicated 33% of their day simply on work and 32% on sleep. Meanwhile, in 2008, working adults allocated more time for work thereby increasing to 42%, while the time spent by sleeping declined by 7%. Although working adults had reduction in time going out with friends or family in the span of 60 years, decreasing from 19% to 6%, more people allocated time for relaxation at home which increased from 8% to 13%.

Furthermore, the time spent for commuting to work also increased from 2% to 7%, while people gave more time to playing sports increasing to 7% in 2008.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response effectively identifies the main trends and makes relevant comparisons between the two years. You have successfully highlighted the key shifts, such as the increase in work and commuting time alongside the decrease in sleep and socializing. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the data. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are fully integrated; for instance, you mentioned sports increased to 7% in 2008 but did not provide the 1958 figure for comparison, which would have strengthened the analysis. Overall, the response covers all requirements well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group information thematically. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition to that', 'Meanwhile', and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. The progression of ideas is smooth, and each paragraph has a clear central focus. The use of referencing is generally accurate, and the structure supports the overall message well. The paragraphing is appropriate for this type of task.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'allocated more time', 'declined by', and 'in the span of' are used appropriately. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'time spent by sleeping', which should be 'time spent sleeping'. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, incorporating a few more precise academic collocations or synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' (e.g., 'surged', 'plummeted', 'witnessed a rise') would elevate the lexical score further.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and the meaning is always clear. There are occasional minor grammatical slips, such as 'time spent by sleeping' and 'thereby increasing to 42%', where the participle phrase is slightly awkward. However, these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. The punctuation is generally accurate, and the control over complex structures is sufficient for this level.

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