Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-26

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 illustrate the proportion of time spent by employed adults on six different activities in a day in a particular country during 1958 and 2008.

Overall, working accounted for the largest proportion of the day in both 1958 and 2008, with time spent on sports constituting the smallest share in both the years. While time taken to travel to work and relaxing at home increased over the years, the time allocated to friends and family and sleeping decreased.

In 1958, working and sleeping accounted for more than three-fifths of the time in a day at 33% and 32% respectively. In the remaining time, people preferred going out with relatives and friends, consuming 19% of the time in a day with sports being an even less chosen activity accounting for 6% of the day. Travelling, on the contrary, required only 2% of the day.

As for 2008, a greater proportion of time was spent working, increasing from 33% to 42% over half a century. Likewise, other activities witnessed an increase, with time spent on travelling to work more than tripling to 7% and leisure time at home witnessing a rise to 13%. By contrast, time consumed by activities like sleeping and public outings with friends and family declined considerably with the former reduced to 25% and the latter witnessing a steep drop to 6%. Sports activities more or less remained stable at around 7%.

AI examiner evaluation

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 key features to compare the two years. The data is accurately reported, and the comparison between 1958 and 2008 is well-integrated. For instance, you correctly identified that working time increased while time spent with family decreased. The inclusion of specific percentages adds precision to your summary. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are perfectly accurate; for example, you mentioned working and sleeping accounted for more than three-fifths (65%) in 1958, but 33% plus 32% is exactly 65%, which is slightly more than three-fifths (60%). Overall, the information is well-selected and logically presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You use paragraphing effectively to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. Cohesive devices such as 'In 1958', 'As for 2008', 'Likewise', and 'By contrast' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the comparison. The referencing is clear, and the flow between sentences is smooth. There is a good balance between general statements and specific data points. The structure is coherent throughout, and the use of linking phrases is natural rather than mechanical, which contributes to a professional and easy-to-follow report.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic report. Phrases such as 'accounted for the largest proportion', 'witnessed an increase', 'more than tripling', and 'steep drop' show a flexible use of language. The vocabulary is precise and helps convey the trends clearly. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation. To improve further, you could incorporate more sophisticated synonyms for 'time' or 'day' to avoid repetition, although your current usage is already quite effective for this task type.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a variety of complex sentence structures, such as 'While time taken to travel to work and relaxing at home increased over the years, the time allocated to friends and family and sleeping decreased.' The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is strong. There are very few grammatical slips, and the ones present do not impede communication. The use of participial phrases and comparative structures is well-handled. Your grammar is consistent and supports the clarity of your report, meeting the requirements for a high band score.

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

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