Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The pie graphs illustrate the percentage of time spent on various activities by working adults in 1958 and 2008. Overall, while adult devoted the largest percentage of their daily time to working and sleeping in 1958, the time spent on working increased substantially in 2008 to become the highest activity overall.

Working adults spent the highest proportion of their daily time on working and sleeping, at 33% and 32% respectively in 1958. This was followed by going out with friends or family, which mad up half of the proportion spent allocated to sleeping, at 19% and 32% respectively. However, time spent on relaxing at home and commuting to work together constituted a tenth of the total, at 8% and 2% respectively.

In 2008, time used for working increased compared to 1958 to 42%, which representing the highest category in that year. While the time spent on sleeping decreased to a quarter (25%), this category still ranked second. Relaxing time at home rose to 13% , while time spent on travelling to work and playing sports made up 7% each. Finally, the time spent on going out with friends and family represented the lowest proportion at only 6%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the pie charts and provides a clear overview. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the increase in working hours and the decrease in sleeping time. However, there are some inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, you stated that 'going out with friends or family' made up 'half of the proportion allocated to sleeping' (19% vs 32%), which is mathematically incorrect. Additionally, the comparison of 1958 data is slightly confusing due to the phrasing. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurately transcribed and that comparisons are logically sound.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, body paragraphs, and a clear overview. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'Finally' to guide the reader through the information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two time periods. While the flow is generally good, some sentences are slightly clunky, such as the second sentence in the second paragraph, which makes the comparison difficult to follow. Improving the precision of your cohesive links would enhance the overall readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'constituted', and 'substantially'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'mad up' (likely a typo for 'made up') and 'time used for working' (a more natural choice would be 'time allocated to working'). You also have some repetitive phrasing. To improve, try to vary your verbs and nouns further and ensure that your collocations sound natural in an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the 'While...' clause in your introduction. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'adult devoted' should be 'adults devoted', and 'which representing' should be 'which represented'. Additionally, there are some punctuation and minor syntax issues. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent verb tense usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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