Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-03
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 chart illustrates the proportion of the day spent by working adult on various activities in 1958 and 2008. The data is calibrated in percentages.
Overall, the working activity was the largest proportion in the both years, while a minimal percentage was observed by travelling to work.
To begin with, in 1958 working activity made of 33% and Sleeping stood at 32% which was the highest among all activities. Going out with friends/family had 19%. Relaxing at home had only 8%. Travelling to work and playing sports were around 2% and 7% respectively which was a negligible percentage.
However, in 2008, a considerable percentage was observed by working activity(42%). Sleeping represented at 25% and which was the second greatest proportion. In addition, relaxing at home activity consisted 13%. Having said that playing sports and travelling to work accounted for same percentage (7%). Going out with friend/family had only 6% which was very smallest among activities.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the pie charts and makes relevant comparisons between 1958 and 2008. You successfully identified the key trends, such as the increase in working hours and the shift in leisure activities. However, the overview is somewhat basic. To improve, ensure your overview highlights the most significant changes more clearly rather than just stating that work was the largest proportion. Additionally, some data points are slightly inaccurate; for instance, you stated that working activity in 1958 was 33%, but the chart shows 32%. Precision in data reporting is essential for a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'However', and 'In addition' to link your ideas. While the progression is clear, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. To reach a higher band, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the transition between sentences is smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the information is presented in a way that is easy to follow, which supports the overall coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'calibrated', 'negligible', and 'accounted for'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'working activity was the largest proportion' (it would be more natural to say 'work accounted for the largest proportion') and 'very smallest' (which is grammatically incorrect; 'the smallest' is sufficient). To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and adverbs would also help to enhance the sophistication of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'working adult' (should be plural 'adults'), 'made of 33%' (should be 'made up 33%'), and 'represented at 25%' (should be 'represented 25%'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.
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