Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-17

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 charts illustrate the proportion of working adults on five distinct activities in single day between 1955 and 2008

Overall, it can be seen clearly that, in both years majority of the time used on their job by adolescents, while other various activities showed fluctuation in the percentage.

With regards to sleeping and working, in 1958 the percentage of adults had experienced approximately identical at 33 percent ; however, in 2008, the percentage of working hours accounted for 42 percent , and sleeping depicted fell to a quarter. 8 percent adults spend their time for relaxing at home, which was six times that of travelling to work in 1958. By 2008, the percentage of both categories present increased trend 13 percent and 7 percent respectively.

Furthermore,19 percent of adults used their day on going out with kith and kins , and by 2008 the numbers dropped to 6%. There is one more activity playing sports in which adults used their time remaind constant in both years around 7 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts, such as the increase in working hours and the decrease in socialising. However, there are inaccuracies in the data reporting. For example, you state that in 1958, sleeping and working were 'approximately identical at 33 percent', whereas the chart shows working at 33% and sleeping at 32%. Furthermore, you mention 'adolescents' instead of 'adults', which is a misinterpretation of the prompt. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision in data citation and the confusion regarding the subject matter prevent a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or awkward, such as 'There is one more activity playing sports in which adults used their time remaind constant'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the transition between ideas could be smoother. While the overall progression is logical, the lack of sophisticated linking words and some awkward phrasing limit the effectiveness of the cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'fluctuation', and 'accounted for'. However, there are some unnatural collocations and word choice errors, such as 'kith and kins' (an idiom that is too informal and archaic for this context) and 'present increased trend'. Additionally, there are minor spelling errors like 'remaind'. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring that your word choices are appropriate for a formal report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'majority of the time used on their job by adolescents' (missing articles and awkward passive construction) and 'the percentage of adults had experienced approximately identical'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around percentages and commas. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures.

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

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