Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-09
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 given pie charts compare the percentage of the day spent by working adults on various activities in a particular country in 1958 and 2008. Overall, it is clear that the largest proportion of people time spent by working and sleeping. However, the average working time increased and sleeping time fall over the period. In 1958, the percentage of working on a day accounted for 33% and sleeping followed by 32%. Adults spent 19% time going out with friends or family and 8% relaxing at home. The least proportion of time spent by travelling to work, at only 2%. In 2008, the working time increased significantly at 42% and sleeping time fall to 25%. Adults spent their time relaxing at home rose to 13% and going out with friend or family decreased to 6%. However, in 2008, adult spent their time by playing sports at 7% and the proportion travelling to work increased to 7%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| 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 time and the decrease in sleeping time. However, the overview is slightly underdeveloped; while you mention the main trends, it could be more precise. Additionally, there are some minor inaccuracies in data reporting, such as stating 'the largest proportion of people time spent by working and sleeping' which is grammatically awkward and slightly imprecise. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are clearly linked to the specific year and category without ambiguity.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'However', and 'In 1958', which help the flow of information. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'the largest proportion of people time spent by working and sleeping'. The connection between sentences could be smoother to avoid a list-like feel. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'accounted for', and 'increased significantly'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'sleeping time fall' (should be 'fell') and 'the least proportion of time spent by travelling' (should be 'the smallest proportion of time was spent travelling'). These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on using more accurate collocations and ensuring that verbs are used in the correct tense when describing trends.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'the largest proportion of people time spent by working' (incorrect passive construction), 'sleeping time fall' (incorrect tense), and 'adult spent their time' (missing pluralization). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to affect the overall quality. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement, verb tense consistency, and the correct formation of passive voice structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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