Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-13

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 two-pie chart illustrate the proportion of time spent of adults on various activities between 1958 and 2008. Overall, working occupied the largest time slot. Travelling to work, relaxing at home and playing sports showed more shared by 2008. Moreover, going out with friends/family, and sleeping decreased over fifty-year period.

In 1958, working had the highest share of 33% in day spent which rose significantly to 42% by 2008. Playing sports, travelling to work, and relaxing at home had values 5%, 2%, and 8% initially. It showed an upward trend and reached 7%, 7% and 13% by 2008.

In opposite to, some activities proportion declined with time. Adult slept 32% and going out with friends/family 19% in 1958, which decreased to 25% and 6% because of more work load by 2008.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the development of the task. While you have identified the main trends, the analysis is somewhat superficial. You have successfully highlighted the key changes, such as the increase in working hours and the decrease in sleeping time, but the lack of sufficient length means the response feels incomplete. To improve, ensure you provide a more detailed overview and expand on the comparisons between categories. The data points are generally accurate, but the overall development is hindered by the brevity of the report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally awkward, such as 'In opposite to,' which is not a standard transition. While there is an attempt to group information, the flow between sentences could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the lack of varied linking words makes the progression feel a bit repetitive. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider range of cohesive devices to connect ideas more naturally and improve the logical flow between your paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'showed,' 'had,' and 'increased.' While these are accurate, they do not demonstrate a sophisticated command of language. There are also some minor collocation issues, such as 'time spent of adults' instead of 'time spent by adults.' To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms and precise reporting verbs to describe the trends in the data, such as 'surged,' 'plummeted,' or 'remained stable.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that affect the clarity of your writing. For instance, 'The two-pie chart illustrate' should be 'The two pie charts illustrate,' and 'In opposite to, some activities proportion declined' is grammatically incorrect. There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct sentence construction will help you improve your accuracy.

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

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