Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-02
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 graph illustrats the how working spent their time on different activities in the years of 1958 and 2008.
Overall, It is clearly seen that the dominant activity was working and minor activity was the Going out with friends/family. Morever percentage of working activity was significanty increased and Going out with friends/family was rapidly decreased during the period.
To begin with percentage of the day spent by working adults on six different activities in 1958. The dominant time spent activity was Working at 33% . Sleeping led by 32%. The average time spent on Going out with friends/family was 19%. adults spent their time 7% of the day in playing sports. The minor time spent activity was Travelling to work at 2%.
In 2008 Working was increased 9% and became 42%. Relaxing at home and Travelling to work was inclined by 5% and became 13% and 7%. Going out with friends/family was declined by 13% and reached 6%. And sleeping was decreased by 7% and became 25% over the period.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the pie charts and makes relevant comparisons between 1958 and 2008. However, the overview is slightly underdeveloped and contains some inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the claim that 'Going out with friends/family was rapidly decreased' is accurate, but the description of the data in the body paragraphs is sometimes confusing, such as stating 'Working was increased 9% and became 42%' without clearly contrasting the two years. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview highlights the most significant trends more clearly and that all data points are accurately transcribed and compared.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition 'To begin with' is used to start the second paragraph, but the sentence structure following it is fragmented. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, making the flow between sentences feel disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'dominant time spent activity' and 'led by 32%'. Some word choices are repetitive, and there are minor errors in word formation, such as 'illustrats' and 'significanty'. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that vocabulary is used in the correct context to describe trends and changes in data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include missing articles (e.g., 'percentage of working activity'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'was increased' instead of 'increased'), and punctuation errors. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive versus active voice when describing data trends would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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