Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-04
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 two graphs illustrate how hard working people in a particular country spent their precious time in 1958 and 2008.
Overall, working dominated both years by a big proportion. Although it increased considerably in the year 2008. In contrast, the amount of time spent on sleep fell sharply.
In 1958, most adults spent 32% of their day sleeping making this the second largest category. Working accounts for 33%, while going out with friends or spending time with family for 19%.much smaller proportions were devoted to travelling to work and Relaxing at home which accounted for about 2% for travelling to work and 8% to relaxing at home.
By 2008, the proportion of the time spent on working had risen to 42%, an increase of 9% points. Meanwhile, sleeping decreased by 25% a decrease of 7 percentage points were recorded. Time spent relaxing at home increased from 8% to 13% , while travelling to work rose by % in 2008. However, Playing sports indicated a percentage of 7%. Going out with family is shown by a proportion of 6%.
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 data and makes relevant comparisons between the two years. However, there are some inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you state that sleeping decreased by 25%, whereas the chart shows a decrease from 32% to 25%. Additionally, you mention 'travelling to work rose by %', which is an incomplete data point. While you identify the main trends, the lack of precision in reporting figures and the omission of some categories in the 1958 data (such as sports) prevent a higher score. Ensure all data points are clearly stated and accurately calculated.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Meanwhile', and 'However' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by mechanical phrasing and some awkward transitions. For example, the sentence 'much smaller proportions were devoted to...' starts with a lowercase letter, and the final paragraph feels like a list of disconnected facts rather than a cohesive analysis. Improving the flow between sentences would enhance the overall readability.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dominated', 'considerably', and 'proportions'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'hard working people' (which is slightly informal) and '9% points' (the standard term is 'percentage points'). There is also a missing value for travelling to work in the second paragraph. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring that all numerical data is accompanied by the correct terminology.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including punctuation issues (e.g., '19%.much smaller'), capitalization errors, and missing articles. Some sentences are also structurally incomplete, such as 'travelling to work rose by % in 2008'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the clarity of your writing. To improve, pay closer attention to sentence boundaries, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of prepositions when describing statistical changes.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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