Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-19
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 given pie charts explain how working adults spent their time in 1958 and what changes occured in 2008.
Overall, the given two pie charts illustrate the proportions of the day spent by working adults on several activities in 1958 and 2008. The most common activity performed by adults in 1958 was working. On the other hand, working is still maximum activity performed by working adults in 2008 but its ratio increased now from 33% to 42%. The minimum activity performed in 1958 was Travelling to work and in 2008, the least performed activity is going out with family.
In 1958, the maximum activity performed, was Working with 33% of ratio. Its percentage improves in 2008 upto 42% which is still highest ratio.In 1958, almost 8% Adults were relaxing at home but now the percentage increased to 13%. Travelling to work was the least performed activity by the adults in 1958. The ratios of sleeping and Going out with family were 32% and 17% respectively in 1958.
But, in 2008 the percentage of sleeping is slightly reduced to 25%. Playing sports and travelling to work have same ratio of 7% which is definitely higher than 1958. Going out with family is the least performed activity in 2008 and its percentage reduced to 6% from 19% in 2008.
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, including the increase in working time and the shift in leisure activities. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, cohesive overview. While the key trends are identified, the comparison between the two years is occasionally confusing, such as the statement that 'Going out with family' reduced to 6% from 19% in 2008, which is repetitive and slightly unclear. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview synthesizes the data more effectively rather than just listing percentages, and ensure that all comparisons are logically presented.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is sometimes disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is present but often repetitive or mechanical, such as the frequent use of 'In 1958' and 'In 2008' to start sentences. The progression of ideas is logical, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the data points more fluidly. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure feels like a list of facts rather than a cohesive report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There is a reliance on basic terms like 'maximum activity' and 'minimum activity' rather than more sophisticated descriptors like 'predominant' or 'least significant'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'ratio increased' (when referring to percentages) and 'maximum activity performed'. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary related to trends and proportions, such as 'accounted for', 'constituted', or 'a significant shift'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'what changes occured' (spelling: occurred), 'ratio increased now from 33% to 42%', and 'Playing sports and travelling to work have same ratio'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods in some instances. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement would help improve the score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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