Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-25

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 circular pair of charts illustrated about the adults in a particular country spent their time in various activities in time of 1958 and 2008. The data has been calibrated into percentage.

Overall, It is crystal clear that in the portion of playing sports had not any significant change. The most noticeable change in going out with friends and family and the adults spent their maximum time in working in both years.

In the year of 1958, made up of biggest portion in working, at 33% which was increase to 42% in later year. Another striking, tripled the figure for travelling to work at 7% and the second largest sector was sleeping in both years but seems a decline in this sector 32% to 25% in last year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While you have identified some key features, such as the increase in working hours and the decline in sleeping time, the analysis is incomplete. Several categories from the charts are omitted, and the comparison between the two years lacks the necessary depth and detail required for a Band 6 or higher. To improve, ensure you cover all data points provided in the diagrams and provide a more comprehensive overview that synthesizes the trends rather than just listing isolated figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression is hindered by the lack of sufficient content and some awkward phrasing. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often mechanical or misused, such as 'Another striking, tripled the figure'. The connection between ideas is sometimes unclear, making the flow of the report feel disjointed. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that guides the reader through the data comparison.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'calibrated into percentage' and 'in time of 1958'. You rely on basic descriptors and struggle with accurate collocations. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more sophisticated vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'witnessed a marginal increase' or 'remained relatively stable', rather than relying on simple phrases like 'not any significant change'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'The given circular pair of charts illustrated about the adults', which is grammatically incorrect, and 'seems a decline in this sector', which lacks a subject. There are also issues with tense consistency and article usage. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that your sentence structures are complete. Proofreading for basic errors like missing subjects or incorrect prepositions will help improve your accuracy.

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

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