Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-07
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 following pie charts illustrates how in 1958 and 2008 working adults in a practicular country spent their time.
Overall, there are various activities performed by working adults. However, working adults was dominant in both years but the number of workers have increased in coming years. Whereas, people travelling to work and people going out with friends/family has the least percentage in both years.
The first pie chart shows percentages of day spent by adults on different activities. In 1958, there were highest number of working adults which is 33%. Following that, comes sleeping people that has the percentage of 32%. After that, 19% were adults going out with friends/ family, 7% of playing sports and 2% travelling to work.
Next comes the year 2008, most area is covered by working adults that is 42%. Moving forward, sleeping people covered 25%. Here, playing sports and adults travelling to work has similar values of 7%. The lowest has the percentage of 6% that are working adults hanging out with their family/friends.
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 addresses the task by summarizing the main features of the pie charts. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and contains inaccuracies. For instance, you state that 'working adults was dominant in both years' but then provide conflicting percentages (33% vs 42%). Furthermore, the description of the data is repetitive and lacks a clear, analytical comparison between the two years. To improve, focus on identifying the most significant trends—such as the increase in working hours and the decrease in sleep—rather than simply listing the percentages for each category. Ensure that your data reporting is precise and that you provide a clearer overview of the changes over the 50-year period.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally awkward, such as 'Following that, comes sleeping people' and 'Moving forward'. The logical progression between sentences is sometimes hindered by these transitions. While the overall arrangement is coherent, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the data points more naturally. Strengthening the logical links between the two time periods would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'working adults' and 'percentage of'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'sleeping people' and 'working adults hanging out'. To achieve a higher score, try to use more sophisticated synonyms and descriptive language to report the data, such as 'proportion', 'allocated to', or 'witnessed a significant rise'. Expanding your range of vocabulary will help you describe the trends more effectively and with greater nuance.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The following pie charts illustrates', 'working adults was dominant') and awkward phrasing ('the lowest has the percentage of 6%'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are persistent. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that your sentence structures are grammatically sound. Practicing the use of complex sentences with correct punctuation will also help you demonstrate a wider range of grammatical control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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