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 represented pair of circular charts illustrates the information about the utilization of time by employed individuals in given time period of 1958 and 2008. The data has been calibrated into percentage.

Overall, it is crystal clear that in general, playing sports had as negligible change and the most noticeable feature is working which experiencing maximum change.

At the start of the period, working holds the peak point with 33% and somehow had a considerable rise of 9% in last year and is followed by sleeping in first year by value of 32% which significantly decline to 25% in year 2008. Furthermore, going out with family and friends was preferred by 19% people in year 1958 and interest of people dropped by 6%.

The most dramatic change was seen in relaxing at home which ranging from 8% to 13% in the time period of 1958 and 2008. Moving further, the choice of people increase from 2% to 7% for travelling to work in the given time period. Now coming with the value that almost remains same and that was playing sports with choice of almost 7% individuals. in both years

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all key features of the charts, including the main trends and comparisons. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; for instance, the claim that 'working' experienced the 'maximum change' is debatable, as other categories like 'sleeping' or 'relaxing at home' show significant shifts. Additionally, the statement that 'playing sports had as negligible change' is somewhat vague. While the main features are identified, the analysis lacks precision in reporting the data, and some figures are described in a way that makes the comparison difficult to follow. To improve, ensure that the overview clearly highlights the most significant trends rather than focusing on minor details.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or awkward, such as 'Now coming with the value that almost remains same'. The transition between sentences is occasionally abrupt, and the referencing is not always clear. While there is a clear overall progression, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the relationship between sentences is more explicit. The paragraph structure is appropriate for an IELTS Task 1 response, but the internal cohesion needs more refinement to reach a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'calibrated into percentage' and 'working holds the peak point'. The student relies on basic descriptive language, and there is a lack of variety in reporting trends. While the meaning is generally clear, the word choice is often repetitive or slightly unnatural. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise collocations for describing data, such as 'accounted for', 'witnessed a decline', or 'remained stable'.

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 the flow. Examples include 'working which experiencing maximum change' (incorrect verb form) and 'interest of people dropped by 6%' (missing article). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, such as 'working holds the peak point... and is followed by sleeping... which significantly decline'. While the errors do not completely prevent communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.

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

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