Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-05

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 6.0)

The provided pie charts compare the average percentage of an employed person's day spent on various activities in 1958 and 2008 in a specific country. The data has been calibrated into percentages.

Looking from an overall perspective, it is crystal clear that the most notable trend is that people in this country spent the majority of their day at work in both years. Interestingly, there is an inverse relationship between working and sleeping over the fifty-year period.

At first glance, it is noticeable that in 1958, employed individuals in this country allocated approximately one-third of their day to work. Followed by, nearly one-third spent in sleeping. The next largest portion of their day was dedicated to socializing with with friends and family, accounting for 19% of their daily activities. In contrast, commuting to work consumed the least amount of time in their daily routine.

Moving ahead, fast-forwarding 50 years, the percentage of the day spent at work surged to 42%, while the proportion of time spent sleeping decreased to 25%. Furthermore, the time allocated to socializing with family and friends dwindled to 6%, whereas more time was spent relaxing at home, accounting for 13% of their day. Additionally, the time spent traveling to work quadrupled to 8% over this period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response effectively addresses the requirements of the task by identifying and reporting the main features of the data. You have successfully compared the two years and highlighted significant trends, such as the increase in work hours and the decrease in sleep. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the main changes. All parts of the prompt are covered, and the data is used accurately to support the descriptions. To reach a higher band, ensure that all categories are mentioned or grouped logically to provide a comprehensive picture of the data, as some minor categories could be integrated more smoothly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that follow a chronological progression. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Moving ahead', and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different time periods. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. For instance, the phrase 'Followed by, nearly one-third spent in sleeping' is a sentence fragment that disrupts the flow; it would be better integrated into the previous sentence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'calibrated', 'allocated', 'surged', and 'dwindled' appropriately. This shows an awareness of style suitable for an academic report. There is a minor error in the phrase 'socializing with with friends', which is a repetition error. Overall, the vocabulary is precise and helps convey the information clearly. To improve, try to incorporate more varied collocations related to data reporting, such as 'a significant shift in the distribution of time' or 'a marginal increase'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most sentences are error-free, and the grammar is generally accurate. There are a few minor issues, such as the sentence fragment 'Followed by, nearly one-third spent in sleeping', which lacks a subject and a finite verb. Additionally, the phrase 'socializing with with friends' contains a typo. Despite these small slips, the control of grammar is strong, and the meaning is never obscured. Increasing the variety of complex structures would further enhance the score.

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

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