Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-11

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 data on the comparison of the day spent by working adults on six different categories of activities in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, in both the years, the highest number of adults spend their time by working. Conversely, in 1958, a smaller number of people spend their time by travelling to work and in 2008, going out with friends and family's activity contribute the least.

Looking at the details, in 1958, about 33% people spent their day while working which was the largest share followed by, sleeping as it accounted for 32%. Conversely, other activities such as going out with friends/family, travelling to work and relaxing at home made of the lowest share as it recorded 19%, 8% and 2% respectively.

In 2008, also about 42% of adults spend their day by working which was the most dominate share of this year. Similarly, the second most dominant category was sleeping as it made of 25% after relaxing at home category with only 13%. On the other hand, playing sports, travelling to work, going out with friends/family shared the smallest proportion of total share with only 7%, 7% and 6% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons between 1958 and 2008. The overview is clear, highlighting the dominance of work and sleep in both years. However, there are some inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you state that in 2008, relaxing at home was 13%, but the chart shows it as 13% for 1958, while 2008 shows a different figure. Additionally, the description of the 'least' activities in 2008 is slightly confusing. To improve, ensure that data points are transcribed with absolute precision and that comparisons are explicitly linked to the specific year being discussed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is clear, and you use cohesive devices such as 'conversely', 'similarly', and 'on the other hand' to link sentences. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as in the second paragraph where the link between the activities and the years could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two time periods, which helps the reader follow the comparison effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrate', 'proportion', 'accounted for', and 'dominant'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'most dominate share' (should be 'most dominant') and 'made of the lowest share' (should be 'made up the lowest share'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and descriptive adjectives would enhance the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'in both the years' (should be 'in both years'), 'the highest number of adults spend' (tense inconsistency; should be 'spent'), and 'made of' (should be 'made up'). Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency are areas that require attention. Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication, and the sentence structures are varied enough to support the information provided.

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

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