Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The two pie chart given below illustrates the percentages of the day spent by working adults on various activities in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, working and sleeping accounted for the largest proportions of the day in both years. However, the amount of time spent working increased considerably, while sleeping decreased. There were also changes in the time spent on sports.

In 1958, working represented 33% of the day, followed closely by sleeping at 32%, going out with friends and family accounted for 19%. while 8% of the day was spent relaxing at home. Travelling to work took only 2% and playing sports made up 6%.

By 2008, the proportion of time spent working had risen to 42%, making it the largest percentage. In contrast, sleeping fell to 25%. Relaxing at home increased from 8% to 13%, whereas going out with friends and family dropped sharply to 6%. Travelling to work and playing sports shared the same percentage of 7% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the data and provided a clear overview of the trends. You covered all categories and made relevant comparisons between the two years, such as noting the increase in working hours and the decrease in sleeping time. The data is accurately reported, and the response is well-structured for a Task 1 report. To reach a higher band, ensure that you consistently highlight the most significant changes or contrasts rather than just listing the figures for each year. Your summary is effective, but adding a slightly more analytical tone when discussing the shifts would further enhance the quality of your response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'whereas', and 'while' to connect ideas effectively. The progression of information is logical, moving from the general overview to specific details for each year. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different time periods. To improve, ensure that your sentence-level transitions are always grammatically sound, as seen in the slight punctuation error in the third paragraph where a full stop was used instead of a comma before 'while'.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'accounted for', 'represented', and 'rose to' are appropriate for describing statistical data. You also use some variety in your reporting verbs. However, there are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'shared the same percentage of 7% respectively', which is redundant. To improve, aim to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms for 'increased' or 'decreased' and ensure that your use of adverbs and adjectives is precise to enhance the professional tone of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is generally effective. Most sentences are clear and easy to follow. However, there are a few grammatical slips, such as 'The two pie chart given below illustrates' (should be 'charts' and 'illustrate') and the sentence fragment 'going out with friends and family accounted for 19%. while 8%...'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do prevent the response from reaching the higher bands. Focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your punctuation correctly separates independent clauses.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.