Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The given pie charts show how working adults in a particular country spent their time in 1958 and 2008. The various activities on which people spent their time and their share in percentages of the day spent are presented in the first pie chart labelled as ''1958''. The activities are working, sleeping, going out with friends and family, relaxing at home and Travelling for work, and their percentages are 33%, 32%, 19%, 8%, and 2% respectively. In contrast, the public loves to spend time on playing sports and sleeping.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. Because the response is only 89 words, it is severely under-developed. While you have introduced the topic and listed some data from the 1958 chart, you have failed to describe the 2008 data entirely, nor have you made the necessary comparisons between the two years as requested by the prompt. The final sentence is also inaccurate, as it mentions 'playing sports,' which is not supported by the data provided in the prompt. To improve, you must ensure you cover all parts of the task, including a clear overview and a detailed comparison of both years.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is too short to demonstrate a range of cohesive devices or effective paragraphing. While the sentences are grammatically linked, the lack of a clear structure or logical progression makes it difficult to follow the development of ideas. There is no clear separation between the introduction, the body paragraphs, and an overview. To improve, you should organize your report into distinct paragraphs: an introduction, an overview of the main trends, and two body paragraphs that compare the data points between 1958 and 2008 using linking words like 'whereas,' 'in contrast,' and 'similarly.'

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'spent their time' are used multiple times, and the vocabulary is limited to simple descriptions of the data. There is little attempt to use less common lexical items or to vary the language used to describe trends or proportions. To improve, try to use a wider variety of verbs and nouns to describe data, such as 'accounted for,' 'constituted,' 'a significant proportion,' or 'a marginal increase.' Avoid repeating the same phrases throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the range is limited. There are some grammatical errors, such as the awkward phrasing in 'Travelling for work' (capitalization) and the inaccurate claim in the final sentence. While the errors do not completely impede communication, the lack of length prevents the demonstration of a wider range of complex structures. To improve, focus on using a variety of sentence types, including passive voice for describing data and complex sentences with subordinate clauses to compare the two time periods.

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