Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-14
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 pie chart illustrates how working adults in a particular country spent their time in 1958 and 2008.
Overall, adults were spent their most of the time on working around 33% which is the highest percentage among all of them in 1958 whereas lowest percentage is travelling to work was 2%. In 2008, working was the main priority among adults is 42%.
In 1958, working was the only activity that adults spent their day is 33%. Second highest doing activity is sleeping which is 32%. They spent their most of the time on working so they have less time to spent with their friends and family is around a fifth. While, due spent their most time on working they less time for relaxation is 8%. The lowest percentage activity that adults spent is travelling to work which is least in all of them.
In 2008, the working activity is grew by 10%, rising from 33% to 42%. Sleeping activity is reduced among adults was about 4%, drop from 32% to 28%. In addition, relaxing at home was rose around 13%. Going out with friends and family dropped drastically from 19% to 6%. Playing sports and travelling to work is same in 2008 was 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 | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the charts and makes relevant comparisons between the two years. However, the analysis is somewhat repetitive and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While you identified the main trends, such as the increase in working hours and the decrease in time spent with family, the presentation of data is occasionally imprecise. For example, stating 'working was the only activity that adults spent their day is 33%' is confusing and grammatically unclear. To improve, focus on grouping data more logically and ensuring that the overview highlights the most significant shifts rather than just listing individual percentages.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'While, due spent their most time on working' are disjointed and hinder the flow of ideas. The transition between sentences is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing (e.g., 'the lowest percentage activity') is occasionally awkward. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each sentence logically follows the previous one, avoiding repetitive sentence structures.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic verbs like 'spent', 'is', and 'was' throughout the response. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'doing activity' and 'the working activity is grew'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of varied and sophisticated vocabulary limits the score. Incorporating more precise reporting verbs and nouns related to data trends (e.g., 'fluctuated', 'witnessed a surge', 'accounted for') would significantly enhance the quality of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You frequently struggle with verb tenses and subject-verb agreement, such as 'adults were spent their most of the time' and 'relaxing at home was rose'. Additionally, there are issues with word order and sentence construction, which occasionally make the text difficult to parse. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence patterns and proofreading for common errors like unnecessary 'is' or 'was' verbs, which appear frequently in your writing where they are not grammatically required.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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