Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The circular charts compare the time spent by working adults in a country , 50 years apart.
Overall, it is crystal clear that while working accounted for the highest share of time spent in both 1958 and 2008, it lost a considerable amount of share to sleeping and going out with friends/family. The share of other activities remained relatively unchanged.
Analyzing both charts reveal that going out with friends/family had a greatest rise in amount of time spent, conversely share of time spent on sleeping decreased by 7 percentage points, interestingly it was the only activity that had a decease in amount of time spent. Travelling to work took comparatively more time in 2008 than 1958.
Analyzing further shows that there was no change in time spent on playing sports in both years. The time spent on working increased by a lot as it share went from around one-thirds to almost two fifths in 1958 and 2008 respectively. As the time spent on working increased so did the time spent relaxing at home.
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 provides a clear overview and identifies key trends. However, there are significant factual inaccuracies regarding the data. For instance, you state that working 'lost a considerable amount of share,' whereas the charts show working time actually increased. You also mention that sleeping was the 'only activity that had a decrease,' which contradicts the data for other categories. While you attempt to report main features, these misinterpretations of the visual data prevent a higher score. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference your written statements with the specific percentages shown in the diagrams to avoid reporting incorrect trends.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Overall,' 'conversely,' and 'Analyzing further.' However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by the factual errors mentioned in the task achievement section. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the comparisons more fluidly. The paragraphing is appropriate for a report of this nature, helping the reader follow the structure of the analysis.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accounted for,' 'relatively unchanged,' and 'percentage points.' There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'decease' (likely a typo for decrease) and 'amount of time spent' which is repeated frequently. To reach a higher band, try to vary your vocabulary by using synonyms or more precise collocations to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated,' 'remained stable,' or 'witnessed a significant growth.' Overall, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning despite these minor issues.
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 'Analyzing both charts reveal' (should be 'reveals'), 'it share' (should be 'its share'), and 'around one-thirds' (should be 'one-third'). Additionally, there are punctuation issues, such as the space before the comma in the first sentence. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct article usage will help improve your grammatical control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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