Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-06
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 5.0)
The provided pie chart gives information about percentage of the day spent by working adults on various activities in 1958 and 2008.
In general, the working activity was top rated in both years. However, travelling to work was least preferred in 1958. Furthermore, playing sports was almost stagnant in both years.
Firstly, in 1998 working activity was 33% while 9 % lower than in 2008. Moreover, going out with family and friends was 19% and shopping was 32%. In addition, traveling to work was less common as compared to other activities and relaxing at home was 8 %.
Conversely, working was 47% sleeping was 25% and second most favourite activity. Additionally , playing sports we're almost stagnant in both time period. Thereafter, working was 42% and traveling to work was 7 %. Finally, going out with family and friends was 6 % less common in 2008 and playing sports was 7%
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to address the task but fails to provide an accurate summary of the data. There are significant factual errors; for example, you state that working was 33% in 1998, but the task refers to 1958. Furthermore, the data points provided are often confusing or contradictory, making it difficult for the reader to follow the trends. While you identify some main features, the lack of precision and the inclusion of incorrect figures prevent a higher score. To improve, ensure you carefully transcribe the data from the charts and focus on clear, comparative statements rather than listing isolated percentages.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'Conversely' is mechanical and often does not match the logical relationship between the ideas. For instance, 'Conversely' is used to introduce a paragraph that does not clearly contrast with the previous one. Additionally, the referencing is unclear; it is often difficult to determine which year or activity you are referring to, which disrupts the flow of information. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear focus would enhance coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. You rely on basic terms like 'activity', 'working', and 'preferred'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'working activity was top rated' and 'playing sports was almost stagnant'. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the range is not sufficient to demonstrate flexibility or precision. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate more varied vocabulary related to data description, such as 'accounted for', 'constituted', 'remained stable', or 'fluctuated'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'playing sports we're almost stagnant' (incorrect verb form) and '9 % lower than in 2008' (missing subject/verb). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of commas and spacing. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader and indicate a lack of control over complex sentence forms. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and basic sentence structure will help improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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