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 pie charts compare information on how working residents of a certain country had spent their time in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, the time is spent by working had increased, whereas the time for meetings with friends and family had experienced a significant drop to three times less than previous. It is noticeable that people in 20018 were tend to spend more time working.

The figure for working had risen from 19% in 1958 to 42% in 2008, respectively, the time spent travelling to work grew threefold. Simultaneously, the time spent relaxing at home increased from 8% to 13% over the given period.

The percentage for sleeping and going out with friends or family had recorded a considerable decline from 32% to 255 for the former, and from 19% to 6% for the latter. The proportion of playing sports remained at the same level, around 7% in

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the score. While you have identified the main features and made relevant comparisons, the analysis is incomplete. The final sentence is cut off mid-thought, and there are significant data inaccuracies, such as writing '255' instead of '25%' and '20018' instead of '2008'. To improve, ensure you complete all sentences and proofread your data points against the source material. A more thorough overview of the trends would also help to better address the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by the incomplete final sentence and some awkward phrasing, such as 'the time is spent by working had increased'. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Overall' and 'Simultaneously', the flow is occasionally disrupted by grammatical errors and the abrupt ending. To improve, focus on using transition words more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, finished concluding thought. The lack of a completed final sentence significantly affects the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'considerable decline', 'proportion', and 'threefold'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'were tend to spend' and the typo '255' for '25%'. These errors, combined with the incomplete nature of the text, limit the precision of your writing. To reach a higher band, focus on using more varied vocabulary to describe trends—such as 'surged' or 'plummeted'—and ensure that your numerical data is transcribed accurately to avoid confusing the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'the time is spent by working had increased' (passive voice misuse) and 'people in 20018 were tend to spend' (incorrect verb form). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence structure is often clunky. To improve, practice subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive versus active voice. Reducing the frequency of these basic errors will allow your more complex ideas to be communicated more effectively.

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

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