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 how the adults in the years 1958 and 2008 used their working time in a particular country.
Overall, a subsequent increase was shown in working and sleeping areas, While a minor decrease appear in relaxing at home and traveling to work. The remaining percentage was further divided into two categories.
During 1958, the working percentage of people was 33 percent, but in 2008 it significantly rose by 9 percent to 42 percent. The relaxing at home was also steeply increased by 5 percent in 2008. Adults spent 32 percent of their time in sleeping in 1958 but this number showed the downward trend, reaching 25 percent in 2008.
On the other side, the traveling to work considerably went upward by 5 percent, totaling 7 percent in total during 2008. Going out with friends and family was 19 percent in 1958, but in 2008 adults showed interest in sports, so the total percentage was split into 7 percent of time for sports, while the remaining was dedicated to visiting their friends and family.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the charts and makes relevant comparisons. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For example, you state that sleeping increased, whereas the data shows a decrease from 32% to 25%. Additionally, you mention that relaxing at home increased, but the charts show a decrease. These factual errors hinder the accuracy of the report. While you attempt to highlight key trends, the misinterpretation of the visual data prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference your written statements with the provided diagrams before finalizing your summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Overall', 'During 1958', and 'On the other side', to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed due to the factual inaccuracies mentioned in the task achievement section. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, and some transitions feel slightly mechanical. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring that the logical flow between sentences is smoother and that cohesive devices are used to connect related data points more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'significantly rose', 'steeply increased', and 'downward trend'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'working and sleeping areas' (these are activities, not areas) and 'totaling 7 percent in total' (which is redundant). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and avoiding repetitive phrasing would strengthen your lexical control.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'a minor decrease appear' (should be 'appeared'), 'the working percentage of people was 33 percent' (awkward phrasing), and 'the traveling to work considerably went upward' (incorrect word order). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct placement of adverbs. Practicing more complex sentence structures while ensuring they remain error-free will help you achieve a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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