Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-18
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 pie charts illustrate how employed adults in a particular country used their time between 1958 and 2008.
Overall, A large proportion of adults in 1958 and 2008 spent the highest percentage of their time working, although there was a slight increase in 2008, traveling to work accounted for the lowest percentage in 1958, with a steady rise in 2008.
Adults in both years invested the highest percentage of their time into work, with 35% in 1958 and 42% in 2008. In 1958, about 19% proportion was allocated to friends and family but there was a drop to 6% in 2008. Sleeping also had a slight drop from 32% in 1958 to 25% in 2008.
On the other hand, the share of time spent relaxing at home slightly increased from about 8% in 1958 to 13% in 2008. As at 1958, there was no proportion of time allocated for playing sports, but in 2008, playing of sports stood at 7%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response covers the requirements of the task well. You have identified the main trends and provided relevant comparisons between the two years. The overview is clear, highlighting the dominance of work and the shifts in other categories. However, the analysis could be improved by grouping the data more logically; for instance, you could contrast categories that increased versus those that decreased. While you mention the main features, some of the data points, such as the specific percentages for 'traveling to work', are missing, which limits the precision of your report. Overall, the response is well-focused and addresses all parts of the prompt effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 1958', and 'On the other hand' to guide the reader through the information. However, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is slightly abrupt. Additionally, some cohesive devices are used in a somewhat mechanical way. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different categories of data. To reach a higher band, ensure that the progression between sentences is smoother and that referencing is more precise throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'allocated', 'proportion', and 'invested' appropriately. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'playing of sports' which is slightly unnatural, and 'As at 1958', which is not standard academic phrasing. You attempt to use less common vocabulary, which is good, but there is room for more sophisticated collocations to describe trends. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly without any significant errors that impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as the comma splice in the second paragraph ('...increase in 2008, traveling to work accounted for...') and the awkward phrasing '19% proportion was allocated'. While these errors are present, they do not impede the reader's understanding of the data. You have good control over basic structures, but to achieve a higher band, you should aim for more error-free complex sentences and ensure that punctuation, particularly comma usage, is more accurate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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