Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-24
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 7.5)
The pie charts compare how working adults in a particular country allocated their time to various activities in 1958 and 2008.
Overall, working accounted for the largest proportion of the day in both years, increasing considerably over the period. By contrast, the proportions spent sleeping and socialising declined, while travelling to work, relaxing at home and playing sports became more prominent in 2008.
In 1958, adults spent 33% of their day working, followed by sleeping at 32%. Going out with friends or family accounted for 19%, whereas relaxing at home represented only 8%. Just 2% of the day was spent travelling to work.
By 2008, the share devoted to work had risen to 42%, while sleeping fell to 25%. Relaxing at home increased to 13%, and travelling to work rose substantially to 7%. Socialising experienced the sharpest decline, dropping from 19% to only 6%. In addition, playing sports accounted for 7% of the day in 2008, a category not shown in the 1958 chart.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the main trends and successfully selected and reported key features from the data. The comparison between 1958 and 2008 is well-integrated, and you have correctly identified the significant shifts, such as the increase in work hours and the decline in socialising. The inclusion of the 'playing sports' category as a new feature in 2008 demonstrates a high level of attention to detail. The information is accurate and well-supported by the provided figures, meeting all requirements for a high band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The response is logically organised, with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs that group information effectively by year. The progression of ideas is smooth, and you have used a variety of cohesive devices such as 'By contrast', 'whereas', and 'In addition' to link sentences and clauses naturally. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed data analysis. The flow of information is easy to follow, and the relationship between the two time periods is clearly established throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You have demonstrated a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic report. Phrases like 'allocated their time', 'accounted for the largest proportion', and 'became more prominent' show a level of sophistication beyond basic descriptions. The use of 'considerably', 'substantially', and 'sharpest decline' adds precision to your reporting. While the vocabulary is accurate and fits the context well, incorporating a few more nuanced synonyms for 'increased' or 'decreased' could elevate the response further. There are no spelling errors, and the word choice is consistently natural and precise.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The response displays a high level of grammatical control. You have used a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively, such as the use of participial phrases ('dropping from 19% to only 6%') and subordinate clauses ('while sleeping fell to 25%'). Punctuation is accurate, and there are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the report. The writing is clear, professional, and demonstrates a strong command of English grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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