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 pie charts depict how the time spent by adults working in a particular country during the span of 50 years that are 1958 to 2008
Overall,majority of the people in 1958 spent their time in working that was 33% and least time spent by people was in travelling to work which was 2%.In 2008 the majority of the people also spent their time in working that was 42% and people spent their least time in going out with friends/family that was 6%.
In 1958 most of the people spent their time in working that was 33%,followed by sleeping that was 32%.17% of people spent their time in going out with friends/family.less people spent there their time in relaxing at home that was 8%,followed by travelling to work which was 2%
In 2008,the majority of the people still stood ups for working that was 42% it got increased in past 50 year,followed b y 25% people which h got degrade from past.Travelling to work was increased than past it was 7% in 2008,Playing sports was also added up in 2008 which was also 7%,people realxing at home also increased it was 13% as compared to past.Going out with friends/family got decreased in 2008 it was only 7%
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the charts, identifying key trends such as the increase in working hours and the shift in leisure activities. However, the analysis is somewhat repetitive, as the same data points are mentioned in both the overview and the body paragraphs. The comparison between the two years is present but lacks sophistication; for instance, the description of the 2008 data is slightly disjointed. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping data more effectively to highlight significant changes rather than listing percentages for each category individually. The overview is clear, but the overall development of the comparison could be more analytical.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive (e.g., 'followed by', 'that was'). There are issues with punctuation, such as missing spaces after commas and periods, which disrupts the flow of the text. The progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and a lack of varied linking words. While the response is coherent enough to be understood, the transitions between sentences and paragraphs need to be smoother and more varied to achieve a higher score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher levels. You rely heavily on basic verbs like 'spent' and 'was'. There are also several instances of awkward word choices and phrasing, such as 'stood ups for working' and 'got degrade'. Spelling errors, such as 'realxing', also occur. To improve, you should aim to use more academic collocations and synonyms to describe trends, such as 'accounted for', 'witnessed a rise', or 'fluctuated', rather than repeating the same simple structures throughout the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'majority of the people... spent'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'it got increased'), and awkward sentence construction. Punctuation is inconsistent, with several missing spaces after punctuation marks. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence structure prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence boundary control and correct verb tense usage would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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