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 pie chart compares six different activities performed by the adults in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, most of the time is spent by working in 1958,whereas the proportion remains the highest in 2008 as well. Sleeping accounted for nearly one-third in 1958 and exactly a quarter by 2008. The rest of the time was devoted to playing sports, hanging out with friends, relaxing at home and traveling to work.

Furthermore, a total percentage of 75% of working was shared between 1958 and 2008. Adults were more likely to work longer hours in the late 2000s, particularly in 2008. With more hours devoted to work, people increasingly devoted their leisure time to rest and relaxation. However, the proportion of sleeping hours declined in 2008 by 7%. People were more engaged with their friends and families in 1958, whereas just a 6% of adults preferred spending time with their friends by 2008. In addition, the proportion of adults playing sports remained plateaued over the period.

To sum up, an increase in workload is observed clearly over the two years, while adults began to spend less time socializing and were more focused towards their tasks.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts, but there are significant inaccuracies in data interpretation. For example, you state that 'a total percentage of 75% of working was shared between 1958 and 2008', which is unclear and mathematically confusing. Furthermore, you mention that 'the proportion of adults playing sports remained plateaued', whereas data in such tasks usually shows specific shifts. The summary is somewhat vague, and the analysis lacks the precision required for a higher band. To improve, ensure that every claim is directly supported by the figures provided in the charts and avoid making generalisations that are not clearly evidenced by the data.

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 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'To sum up' to connect ideas. However, the progression of information is sometimes disjointed. For instance, the transition between the general overview and the specific data points in the second paragraph is a bit abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as the mention of 'the two years' in the conclusion, which is slightly ambiguous. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that cohesive devices are used to link related data points more naturally would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'accounted for', and 'devoted'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'remained plateaued' is redundant, as 'plateaued' already implies remaining at a level. The phrase 'total percentage of 75% of working was shared' is also awkward. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, you need to use more precise collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing to reach a higher band. Expanding your range of descriptive verbs and adverbs would also help in reporting the data more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'most of the time is spent by working' (passive voice error) and 'just a 6% of adults' (incorrect article usage). Additionally, 'the proportion remains the highest in 2008 as well' is slightly awkward in its construction. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, and try to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures with greater accuracy.

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

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