Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The given pie charts clearly illustrates the proportion of activities performed by adolescents to spend time during 1958 and 2008 in a specific country.
Overall, The maximum time spent on working was highest in both years.However, time spent by adults on, relaxing at home, working and travelling to work increased significantly in 2008, whereas going out with family/friends and sleeping decreased substantially in 2008 and playing sports remained unchanged.
Firstly, time spent on working increased by 9% in 2008 which was 33% in 1958. After that, Time devoted by adults on travelling to work and relaxing and home increased by 5% in 2008 which was 2% and 8% in 1958 respectively.
Furthermore, Time spent by adolescents on Going out with family and friends saw an noticeable decline of 13% in 2008 which was 19% in 1958, In addition time devoted to sleeping decreased by 7% in 2008. Finally, Time spent on playing sports by adults remained unchanged.
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 inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, you state that time spent working was 33% in 1958 and increased by 9% in 2008, but the charts show 33% in 1958 and 42% in 2008, which is a 9% increase, yet your phrasing is slightly confusing. More importantly, you incorrectly identify the subjects as 'adolescents' throughout the text, whereas the prompt specifies 'working adults'. This misinterpretation of the data source affects the accuracy of the task completion. While the main features are highlighted, the data interpretation needs to be more precise to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and 'Finally' to signal the progression of ideas. However, the use of punctuation is often faulty, such as the unnecessary comma in 'on, relaxing at home' and the inconsistent capitalisation of words like 'Time' and 'Overall'. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring correct punctuation would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'significantly', 'substantially', and 'decline'. However, there are some word choice errors, such as using 'adolescents' instead of 'adults' and 'performed' instead of 'spent'. There is also a lack of variety in reporting verbs, as you rely heavily on 'increased' and 'decreased'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and ensure that your terminology accurately reflects the data provided in the charts. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points but lacks the precision required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage (e.g., 'The given pie charts clearly illustrates' should be 'illustrate'). Punctuation is also problematic, with erratic capitalisation and unnecessary commas. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for basic punctuation and capitalisation errors. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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