Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-21
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 data compares the proportion of the day spent by working adults on several activities between 1958 and 2008 in a specific country.
At a glance, it is clear that the young people spent more time by working in both timelines, whereas they reduced their sleeping time.
Looking at the charts in detail, in 1958, adults spent 33% of their daily time by working and 32% for sleeping. They used 19% of their time for going out with their friends and family, which hold the third position among the other sectors. 8% of their time they liked to relax at home, while playing sports and travelling section contributed 6% and 2%, respectively.
In 2008, working hold the first position like before by 42%. Surprisingly, adults reduced their sleeping time to 25% compared to 1958. While young people more prefer to relax at home than before, the figure of going out with friends and family dropped dramatically to 6% only. Meanwhile, they spent 7% of their time for travelling to work and 7% for playing sports.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the charts and makes relevant comparisons between 1958 and 2008. However, the analysis is slightly hampered by inaccurate terminology; for instance, the student refers to the subjects as 'young people' throughout, whereas the prompt specifies 'working adults'. Additionally, the overview is somewhat weak, as it incorrectly identifies the trend for sleeping time as the primary change while missing the significant shift in 'going out'. While the key data points are included, the interpretation of the data lacks the precision required for a higher band, particularly in identifying the most significant trends.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'At a glance', 'In 2008', and 'Meanwhile', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'which hold the third position among the other sectors'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two time periods, and there is a clear progression of ideas. To improve, the student should focus on using a wider variety of linking words to connect sentences more fluidly rather than relying on simple chronological markers.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the data clearly. There are some instances of slightly unnatural collocation or word choice, such as 'working hold the first position' (should be 'work held') and 'the figure of going out... dropped dramatically'. The use of 'timelines' is also slightly inaccurate in this context. While the range is sufficient to convey the meaning, there is a lack of more sophisticated or precise vocabulary that would elevate the response to a higher band level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'spent more time by working' (should be 'working'), 'which hold the third position' (tense inconsistency), and 'young people more prefer' (incorrect word order). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band. The control over verb tenses is inconsistent, particularly when switching between the past data and the general description of the charts.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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