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 given pie charts gives the proportion of time spent by working elders in a particular country in 1958 and 2008.

It is evident that working time in a day was the highest time spent by the working adults in both years 1958 and 2008. In 1958 travelling to work was the least time that was spent by the working adults. However time spent going out with friends and family was dramatically drop to 6% in 2008 previously in 1958 the proportion of this time was 19%. There was no much difference in sleeping time proportion in both years. Moreover the relaxing time at home rose from 8% to 25%

The pie charts clearly shows no such change to working time however big changes were done in the time going out with friends and family. Travelling to work was the least time spent by the working adults in both years. Percentages were almost quite similar in 1958 and 2008.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts, such as the dominance of working time and the significant decline in socialising. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the statement 'no such change to working time' is inaccurate, as the data shows a shift from 33% to 42%. Additionally, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the most striking trends, which is essential for a high band score. The comparison between years is present but could be more precise, as some data points are described vaguely rather than using the specific percentages provided in the charts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow is disjointed. The transition between the first and second paragraphs is weak, and the final paragraph repeats information already mentioned (e.g., 'Travelling to work was the least time spent'). Cohesive devices are used, but they are often mechanical or misused, such as 'However time spent... was dramatically drop', which lacks proper grammatical connection. The progression of ideas is not always smooth, making the reader work harder to follow the comparison between the two years.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for higher bands. There are several awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'working elders' (which is inaccurate for 'working adults') and 'no much difference'. The phrase 'dramatically drop' is grammatically incorrect, and the repetition of 'time spent' throughout the text limits the range of expression. To improve, you should aim for more varied synonyms and precise reporting verbs or adjectives to describe the trends shown in the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The given pie charts gives'), incorrect verb forms ('was dramatically drop'), and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the lack of commas after introductory phrases. While the meaning is generally clear, these frequent errors in basic grammar and sentence structure prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct tense usage would significantly improve the quality.

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

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