Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-03

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)

Over the period of 5 decades, the lifestyle of people has significantly changed. With significant decline of 13% seen in people spending time going out with friends/family in the time defined timeperiod from 1958 to 2008. However, the time spent working contributed to 42% in 2008 with regards to 33% in 1958 suggesting an increase of 9% during period. The globalization and advancements in the technology created multiple job oppurtunities and which may reflect the increase of 9% in 2008 as compared to 1958 which was period of recovery during post world war. Apart from this, there is an increase of 5% on time spent travelling to work in 2008. This may reflect that people travelled more distance to their work places in 2008. This maybe due to the increase in traffic at peak work time which alternatively evidences the increase in time spent on work. The deline in 7% in time spent sleeping was noted from 1958 to 2008. This may indicate the advancement in technology and introduction of computers, mobile phones and television in 2000s might have recduced the sleeping time of people, as evidences by the time spent relaxing at home also increased by 5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts, such as the increase in working time and the decrease in sleeping time. However, the analysis is hampered by the inclusion of external knowledge and speculation, such as the mention of 'post world war' recovery and the specific impact of 'mobile phones and television'. In IELTS Task 1, you must stick strictly to the data provided. Furthermore, the structure is a single block of text, which makes it difficult to follow the comparison of data points clearly. To improve, focus on grouping the data logically (e.g., categories that increased vs. those that decreased) and avoid adding personal opinions or historical context not present in the charts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response lacks paragraphing, which is essential for a clear structure in Task 1. While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'However' and 'Apart from this', the flow is often interrupted by repetitive sentence structures and awkward transitions. The progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical, and the lack of a clear introduction or overview paragraph makes the response feel like a list of observations rather than a cohesive report. To achieve a higher band, ensure you use clear paragraph breaks to separate your overview from the detailed data analysis and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your comparisons.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several spelling errors, such as 'oppurtunities', 'deline', and 'recduced'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic phrases like 'increase of 9%'. While the meaning is clear, the lack of precision in word choice and the presence of spelling mistakes prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on using more varied reporting verbs and nouns to describe trends, such as 'witnessed a surge', 'experienced a decline', or 'remained relatively stable', and ensure you proofread for basic spelling accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For example, 'With significant decline of 13% seen in people...' is a sentence fragment. There are also issues with prepositions and articles, such as 'in the time defined timeperiod' and 'the globalization'. 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 use of articles. Additionally, try to vary your sentence structure by using more complex clauses correctly rather than relying on fragmented or run-on sentences.

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

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