Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-04

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)

There are two pie chart which are representing how adults spent their day with different activities shown as percentages for the years 1958 and 2008.

Overall, most of the adults spent their day working and sleeping while the rest was spent doing other daily tasks.

The adults spent almost half of their day working with 33% in 1958 and 42% in 2008, another significant portion throughout their day in both years was spent sleeping with an average of 32% in 1958 and 25% in 2010. Additionally, going out with friends/family took 19% in 1958 and relaxing at home took 13% in 2008.

In 1958, activities like relaxing at home and playing sports took 8% and 6% of their day. Similarly, in 2008, going out with friends/family, playing sports, and traveling to work all took approximately 7% out their day. Lastly, the least amount of time for both graphs was taken in travelling to work in 1958.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the task by identifying the main features and making comparisons. However, the data presentation is inconsistent and contains inaccuracies. For example, you mention '2010' instead of '2008', and the data points for 'travelling to work' in 1958 are not clearly supported by the provided figures. While you highlight the main trends (work and sleep), the analysis lacks precision in reporting the specific percentages. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurately transcribed and that comparisons are more clearly linked to the specific years provided in the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Additionally' and 'Similarly' to connect ideas. However, the progression of information is sometimes disjointed. For instance, the jump between discussing 1958 and 2008 in the third paragraph is slightly confusing. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus—perhaps one for the major trends and another for the smaller categories—and use more varied linking words to improve the flow between sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to describe the charts clearly. You use terms like 'significant portion' and 'daily tasks' appropriately. However, there is some repetition of basic structures and a lack of more sophisticated or precise vocabulary. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'spent' (e.g., 'allocated', 'devoted') and use more precise language to describe trends, such as 'accounted for' or 'constituted'. The range is sufficient for the task but lacks the flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are several grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. For example, 'There are two pie chart which are representing' should be 'There are two pie charts which represent'. Additionally, there are issues with article usage and prepositional phrases, such as 'took 7% out their day' instead of 'of their day'. While you attempt some complex sentences, the control is inconsistent. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically sound will help improve your score significantly.

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

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