Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

There are two pie charts below shows how working adults in a particular country spent their time in 1958 and 2008

Playing sports was done in 2008 but not in 1958 which shows citizens played in modern era

In 1958 hanging out with friend's or family was 19 percent and 2008 it was 6% if compared then overall it was 13% travelling to work in 1958 was 2% and in 2008 was 7 which gives all in all 5% sleeping in 1958 was 32% and in 2008 was 25% which shows overall 7% more people used to sleep in 1958 similarly in 1958 relaxing at home was 8% and in 2008 was 13% which shows 5% more people used to relax in 2008 lastly in 1958 citizen used to work 33% and in 2008 42% which shows people used to work 11 % more in 2008

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While you have identified some data points, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the main trends. The analysis is largely a list of individual figures rather than a cohesive comparison. Furthermore, there are inaccuracies in the data reporting; for example, you state that working increased by 11% (from 33% to 42%), but the mathematical difference is 9%. To improve, you must provide a clear summary paragraph highlighting the most significant changes and ensure all calculations are precise.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The essay lacks paragraphing, which is essential for organizing information in a report. The text is presented as a single block, making it difficult to follow. There is a lack of cohesive devices; you rely on repetitive sentence structures ('in 1958... and in 2008...') rather than using linking words or transition phrases to connect ideas. To improve, you should group related data into distinct paragraphs (e.g., an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs) and use a wider range of cohesive devices like 'in contrast,' 'whereas,' or 'conversely' to show the relationship between the two years.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive. You use the same basic phrasing ('in 1958 was... and in 2008 was...') throughout the entire response. There is no attempt to use a variety of verbs or nouns to describe the data, such as 'increased,' 'decreased,' 'remained stable,' or 'accounted for.' The lack of range makes the writing monotonous and prevents you from demonstrating the lexical control required for higher bands. You should focus on learning synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and practice using nouns like 'proportion,' 'percentage,' and 'figure' to refer to the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors, including missing punctuation, capitalization issues, and run-on sentences. For example, 'There are two pie charts below shows' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'show.' There is a lack of complex sentence structures, as most sentences are simple and repetitive. The misuse of apostrophes ('friend's') and the lack of articles ('in 2008 was 7') further detract from the clarity of the writing. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensure subject-verb agreement, and practice using complex sentences with subordinating conjunctions like 'while' or 'although.'

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

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