Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

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

Overall, there was a significant rise in time spent on working. There was a sharp decline in the time spent on going out with 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 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 sleeping, which decreased to 25% in 2008.

In addition, working adults spent 8% of their time 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 6.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the changes between 1958 and 2008. You covered all categories presented in the charts and made relevant comparisons, such as noting the decline in social time versus the increase in working hours. To reach a higher band, ensure that you avoid minor inaccuracies in data reporting; for instance, you stated that 19% of the day was spent going out in 1958, but the data shows this was 19% of the total time, which is fine, but ensure your comparisons are always precise. Your summary is well-structured and addresses all requirements of the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information by category. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Similarly', and 'In addition' to link your ideas. However, the flow between some sentences is slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the progression of ideas feels more natural. For example, instead of starting every sentence with a time reference or a category, try to integrate these into more complex sentence structures to improve the overall flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'sharp decline', 'increasingly common', and 'gradually'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, particularly the reliance on 'time spent on'. To achieve a higher score, incorporate more varied synonyms for 'time' and 'increase/decrease' (e.g., 'duration', 'proportion', 'surged', 'plummeted'). You also used 'increased a bit', which is too informal for an Academic Task 1 report. Aim for more precise, academic collocations to demonstrate a wider and more sophisticated lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and your meaning is consistently clear. There are some minor grammatical issues, such as '19% time of their day', which should be '19% of their day'. Additionally, the phrasing 'increased a bit' is stylistically weak. While you demonstrate control over basic grammar, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. To improve, try to use more varied subordinate clauses and passive voice constructions to describe the data, which would demonstrate a higher level of grammatical flexibility and accuracy.

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

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