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 two pie charts illustrate how working adults spending their time in a particular country changed over the decades, from 1958 to 2008.

Overall, there had been significant rise in time spent on working and sleeping. There was a sharp decline in the time spent on going out with the friends and family. In contrast, time spent on relaxing at home became increasingly common along with the time spent on traveling to work.

In 1958, working adults spent 19% time of their day going out with their friends and family. By 2008, this figure dropped to 6%. However, only 2% of their time was spent on traveling to work, which increased to 7% in 2008. Similarly, working adults spent 32% of their time while sleeping, which decreased to 25% in 2008.

In addition, working adults spent 8% of their time while relaxing at home. This figure increased slightly to 13% in 2008. Time spent on working, on the other hand, was 33% by working adults. This increased gradually to 42% by the end of 2008. Nevertheless, time spent on sports activities was 6% in 1958. This number increased a bit to 7% in 2008.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features and provided relevant comparisons between the two years. You covered all categories shown in the charts. However, there is a significant factual error in your summary: you stated there was a 'significant rise in time spent on... sleeping', whereas the data shows a decrease from 32% to 25%. Additionally, the overview could be more precise by grouping the trends more effectively. While you have addressed the task requirements, the misinterpretation of the data impacts the accuracy of your reporting, which prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the data. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Similarly', and 'on the other hand' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is generally easy to follow, though the logical connection between the overview and the body paragraphs could be strengthened by ensuring the summary accurately reflects the detailed findings.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrate', 'significant rise', 'sharp decline', and 'increasingly common'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as '19% time of their day' (should be '19% of their time') and 'increased a bit' (which is slightly informal). To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'accounted for'. The current range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly despite these minor inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'how working adults spending their time' (should be 'spent'), 'there had been significant rise' (missing article 'a'), and '33% by working adults' (awkward phrasing). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. You have a decent grasp of tense usage, though the consistency could be improved. To reach a higher band, focus on reducing these small errors and increasing the variety of complex sentence structures used to compare the data.

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

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