Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-20

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 8.5)

The two pie charts compare the proportions of time that working adults in a particular country spent on six different activities in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, working accounted for the largest proportion of adults’ time in both years, and this figure increased considerably over the 50-year period. By contrast, the amount of time spent sleeping declined. There was also a noticeable increase in the proportions allocated to relaxing at home, travelling to work and playing sports, while socialising with friends or family became less common.

In 1958, working occupied 33% of the day, making it the largest activity, closely followed by sleeping at 32%. Going out with friends or family accounted for a further 19%, whereas 8% of the day was spent relaxing at home. Only 2% of the time was devoted to travelling to work, while playing sports represented the remaining 6%.

By 2008, the proportion of time spent working had risen to 42%, an increase of 9 percentage points. In contrast, sleeping fell from 32% to 25%. The time allocated to relaxing at home also increased substantially, from 8% to 13%. Similarly, travelling to work rose from 2% to 7%, while playing sports increased slightly from 6% to 7%. The most significant decline was in socialising, with the proportion of time spent going out with friends or family dropping sharply from 19% to just 6%.

Overall, the figures indicate that working adults in 2008 devoted more of their daily time to work and activities at home, while they spent considerably less time sleeping and socialising than their counterparts in 1958.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response is excellent. You have successfully identified all key features of the data and provided a clear overview that highlights the most significant trends, such as the increase in working hours and the decline in sleep and socialising. The data is accurately reported, and the comparisons between 1958 and 2008 are well-integrated. By including specific percentages and calculating the 'percentage point' difference, you have provided a thorough and precise summary that fully satisfies the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, a concise overview, and two well-structured body paragraphs that group the data effectively. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you have used a variety of cohesive devices such as 'By contrast', 'In contrast', 'Similarly', and 'the most significant decline was' to link sentences and paragraphs naturally. The paragraphing is logical, and the referencing is clear throughout, making the information very easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You have used a wide range of vocabulary with precision and natural control. Phrases like 'accounted for', 'proportion of time', 'allocated to', and 'represented the remaining' demonstrate a sophisticated command of language suitable for an academic report. The use of 'percentage points' is a particularly strong touch that shows high-level accuracy. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and the vocabulary is varied enough to avoid repetition while maintaining a formal, objective tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The response displays a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences and varied clause types, all of which are used with high accuracy. The control over tense usage (past simple for historical data) is consistent and correct. Punctuation is used effectively to manage sentence flow. There are no grammatical errors, and the sentence structures are sophisticated, contributing to the overall fluency and clarity of the report.

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

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