Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-08
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 demonstrate the proportion of working adults who utilised time on different leisure activities in 1958 and 2008.
Overall, it is quite evident that working and sleeping recorded the top position among adults in both years. In addition, others activities varried and flucuated over the period.
In detail, in 1958, the adults who spent time on working were highest at one third, which was followed by sleeping at slightly less than 33%. Relaxing at home stood around one-tenth. The adult less prefered to expenditure time on moving to work, the figure was negligible. Going out with friends accounted for the higher figure compared to going out.
Moreover, the proportion of time spent by adults on playing sports and travelling to work was identical, with a specific figure at 7% and the figure registered a quite less for going out with friends comapred to this. The adults chose to spend higher time on working rather than relaxing at home.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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 charts, but the analysis is inconsistent and lacks precision. While you identify the top activities, the description of the data is often vague or inaccurate. For example, stating that 'others activities varried and flucuated' is a generalisation that does not clearly report the specific data points provided in the charts. Furthermore, the comparison between 1958 and 2008 is underdeveloped; you mention 1958 in detail but fail to provide a meaningful comparison with the 2008 data, which is a core requirement of the task. To improve, ensure you select key data points and explicitly contrast them between the two years.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'In detail' and 'Moreover' are used, but the logical flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed. For instance, the transition between the discussion of 1958 and the subsequent paragraph is abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as 'the figure registered a quite less for going out with friends comapred to this', which makes it difficult for the reader to identify exactly what is being compared. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words will enhance the overall flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is limited and contains several errors in word choice and spelling. Examples include 'varried' (varied), 'flucuated' (fluctuated), 'prefered' (preferred), 'expenditure' (expending), and 'comapred' (compared). These errors, while not always impeding communication, are frequent enough to distract the reader. The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, such as 'figure' and 'time'. To reach a higher band, you should work on using more precise academic vocabulary to describe trends and ensure accurate spelling of common words.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally affect clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('others activities varried'), incorrect word forms ('The adult less prefered'), and awkward phrasing ('the figure registered a quite less'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence construction often feels forced or unnatural. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence patterns and proofreading for common errors like verb tense consistency and article usage. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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