Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-09
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 pie charts illustrate the proportion of time spend by adults on various activities in a specific country in between 1958 and 2008.
Overall, people became more busy with time. In 1958, youth spend their more time in sleeping which reduced in 2008. However, the working time increased from 33% to 42% which showed that people had to do more work in 2008.
In 1958, adults spend their most time in sleeping and working. They kept both these activities in balance. They spend 32% of their time in sleeping and 33% in working. Whereas, in 2008, the working hours increased to 42% and sleeping time reduced to 25%. Hence people became more busy in 2008. On the other hand, relaxing at home was at 8% in 1958 and 13% in 2008. While, outing with relatives was 19% in 1958 which decreased to 6% in 2008. Traveling to work was 2% in 1958 showed the least proportion in chart which rase 5% in 2008. Finally, playing sport was only activity which introduced in 2008 and was not played in 1958.
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 charts and makes relevant comparisons. However, there are some inaccuracies in the interpretation of the data. For instance, you mention that 'playing sport was only activity which introduced in 2008', but the chart shows it was present in 1958 as well. Additionally, referring to the population as 'youth' is inaccurate as the prompt specifies 'working adults'. While the main trends are identified, the analysis lacks a clear, concise overview of the most significant changes, and some data points are slightly misstated. To improve, ensure you carefully distinguish between the two years and use precise terminology.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'However', 'Whereas', and 'On the other hand' to link ideas. However, the flow is sometimes mechanical, and the logical progression is hindered by repetitive sentence structures. For example, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is a bit abrupt. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph focuses on a clear theme (e.g., grouping activities by those that increased vs. those that decreased) would improve the overall coherence and logical flow of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains somewhat limited and repetitive. You frequently use basic verbs like 'spend' (incorrectly used as 'spend' instead of 'spent') and 'became'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'people became more busy with time'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to data description, such as 'accounted for', 'witnessed a rise', or 'fluctuated'. Additionally, ensure you use the correct verb forms, as the consistent misuse of 'spend' instead of 'spent' impacts the clarity of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader's understanding. Notable issues include tense inconsistencies (e.g., 'youth spend their more time' instead of 'spent'), incorrect word forms ('rase' instead of 'rose'), and missing articles. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent past tense usage for historical data will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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