Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-07-31

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 illustrate the comparison in terms of the distribution of time spent by employed individuals in a country in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, it can be seen that working and sleeping took up most of employees' time, with people spending most of their time on working in both years. The number of hours spent on working, relaxing at home, travelling to work, and playing sports increased, whereas those spent on sleeping and going out with friends and family decreased.

On the one hand, working consumed 33% of workers' time in 1958, which went up to 42% in 2008, consistently taking up the largest proporrion of time, whereas travelling to work and playing sports consumed no more than 7% of their time in both years. Relaxing at home made up 8% in 1958 and 13% in 2008.

On the other hand, following working hours, the time spent on sleeping was the second-highest one in both years, making up 32% in 1958 and 25% in 2008. When it comes to the time spent on going out with friends and family, it dropped remarkably from 19% to 6%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively identifies the main features and trends of the data. You have successfully highlighted the shift in working hours and the decline in time spent sleeping and socializing. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the key changes. However, the report could be improved by including more specific data comparisons between the two years, such as calculating the percentage point difference for the most significant changes. While you mention the figures, a more analytical approach to the 'main features' would elevate the response. Overall, you have addressed all parts of the task well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'On the one hand', and 'On the other hand' helps to guide the reader through the information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different categories of activities. The progression of ideas is clear, and the referencing is generally accurate. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between sentences is even smoother and avoid slightly repetitive structures when introducing data points.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data, such as 'distribution', 'proportion', 'consistently', and 'remarkably'. The word choice is generally precise and appropriate for an academic report. There is a minor spelling error ('proporrion'), but this does not impede communication. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'time spent' or 'increased/decreased' to demonstrate a wider lexical range. Overall, the vocabulary is adequate and fits the context of the task well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and the grammar is generally accurate. You have used relative clauses and comparative structures effectively. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede meaning. To achieve a higher score, you could experiment with more sophisticated sentence structures, such as using participle phrases (e.g., 'Rising from 33% to 42%, working hours...') to improve the flow and demonstrate greater grammatical flexibility.

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