Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-31
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 chart demonstrates that how the adults in the year 1958 and 2008 use their working time in a particular country.
Overall, the subsequent increase was shown in working and sleeping area. While the minor decrease appear in relaxing at home and travelling to work. The remaining percentage was future divided into two categories.
During 1958, the working percentage of people was 33 percent but in 2008 it significantly rose 9 percent which was 42 percent. The relaxing at home was also steeply increased by 5 percent in 2008. The adults spent 32 percent of their time in sleeping during 1958 but this number show the downward trend and reached 25 percent in 2008.
On the other side, the travelling to work considerably go upward by 5 percent and 7 percent in total during 2008. The going out with friends and family was 19 percent during 1958, but during 2008 adults showed interest in sports, so the total percent was split into 7 percent of time for sports and remaining was dedicated to visit their friends and family.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the charts, but there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For example, you state that working time 'significantly rose 9 percent' from 33% to 42%, which is mathematically correct, but you then claim relaxing at home 'steeply increased by 5 percent' when the data actually shows a decrease. Furthermore, the description of travelling to work is confusing, as you mention '5 percent and 7 percent in total', which does not clearly reflect the data provided. To improve, ensure that your data points are accurately transcribed from the charts and that your comparisons are logically consistent with the visual information.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'On the other side' are used incorrectly to introduce a new point, and the transition between sentences is sometimes abrupt. The logical progression is hindered by the factual errors mentioned in the task achievement section, making it difficult to follow the comparison between 1958 and 2008. Using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'in contrast', 'conversely', 'meanwhile') would improve the flow and clarity of your arguments.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision. You rely on basic verbs like 'show', 'increase', and 'go upward'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'future divided' (likely meant 'further divided') and 'steeply increased'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is a lack of sophisticated or topic-specific terminology that would demonstrate a higher level of lexical control. Focusing on more precise reporting verbs and adverbs would help elevate your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the minor decrease appear' (subject-verb agreement), 'this number show the downward trend' (subject-verb agreement), and 'demonstrates that how the adults' (incorrect clause structure). These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text. While they do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall quality of the writing. You should focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically sound.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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