Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-29

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 5.0)

The pie chart demonstrates the percentage breakdown of working adults in a particular country spent their time in 1958 and 2008. The pie chart shows with different colors and each color highlights the various activities of adults.

In 1958, overall working adults make up the biggest slice, whereas travelling to work adults contributed the least. The remaining categories were not evenly balanced. There is a moderate percentage of sleeping adults.

On the other hand, in 2008 working adults have the highest percentage value while adults going out with friends and family is the smallest percentage. There is also a moderate of sleeping adults while playing sports adults and travelling to work would be same.

In conclusions, working adults occupy the highest percentage in both years and sleeping adults would be the same in both year. Other categories shows slightly changed. All the categories shows the limited share in a country in both years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to adequately address the task requirements. While it mentions the two years, it lacks a clear overview of the main trends. Crucially, the response fails to report any actual data or percentages from the charts, which is the primary requirement of an Academic Task 1. Instead, it uses vague descriptors like 'biggest slice' or 'moderate percentage' without providing the specific figures needed to support the summary. To improve, you must select and report key data points to make meaningful comparisons between the two years.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the progression of ideas is weak. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'adults' at the end of phrases, which makes the writing feel mechanical. The concluding paragraph is also underdeveloped and does not effectively synthesise the information presented. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'in contrast', 'furthermore', 'consequently') to connect your sentences and ideas more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'working adults' and 'percentage' are used repeatedly, which restricts the range of your writing. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'moderate of sleeping adults' and 'playing sports adults', which are not natural English expressions. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a broader range of vocabulary related to data description, such as 'proportion', 'figure', 'account for', and 'remained stable'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage (e.g., 'in conclusions', 'other categories shows'). The sentence 'playing sports adults and travelling to work would be same' is grammatically incorrect and lacks clarity. To improve, you need to practice using a mix of complex sentence structures and ensure that your verb tenses are consistent and accurate when describing data from the past.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.