Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-12

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 6.0)

The pie charts illustrate the proportions of time spent on various activities by working adults in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, the proportion of time spent working has increased over the period, while the amount of time relaxing at home and sleeping decreased. Sleeping accounted for a substantial proportion of adults' daily time in both years, whereas travelling to work became considerably more common in 2008.

From 1958 to 2008, contribution of working increased from 42% to 33% of adults' daily routine. Meanwhile, the time spent relaxing at home declined from 13% to 8%. Adults spent considerable amount of time sleeping which accounted for 32% of their daily time in 1958, however, this figure declined to 25% in 2008.

Travelling to work accounted for just 2% time in adults' time in 1958, while this figure rose to 7% in 2008. People spent a substantial amount of time with friends and family accounting for approximately 19% in 1958, but this proportion fell significantly to just 6% in 2008. In contrast, playing sports remained unchanged, accounting for 7% of adults' daily time in both periods.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by presenting an overview of the two pie charts from 1958 and 2008, selecting the main features, and making relevant comparisons. For example, the overview clearly highlights the main trends such as the increase in working time and the decrease in relaxing and sleeping. However, there is a notable data contradiction in the body paragraphs: the text states 'contribution of working increased from 42% to 33%', which actually shows a decrease mathematically, misinterpreting the numbers shown in the charts. Despite this factual error regarding the figures, the response provides a well-organized summary that addresses the prompt adequately. Because of the clear reporting of trends alongside this data contradiction, the response earns a Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a clear overall progression with a logical arrangement of information. An introduction paragraph outlines the charts, followed by an overview paragraph, and then detailed body paragraphs that break down the specific categories. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Overall', 'Meanwhile', 'however', and 'In contrast', which help connect ideas and show comparisons between the two years. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the general trends from specific statistical details. Referencing and progression are generally clear throughout, keeping the reader oriented. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 7 descriptors for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, incorporating terms like 'proportions', 'substantial proportion', 'considerable amount', and 'significantly'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'substantial' and 'proportion'. However, there is an inaccurate collocation and word choice error in the phrase 'contribution of working increased', where 'contribution' is not the appropriate term for time spent on an activity. Additionally, the phrase '2% time in adults' time' contains a grammatical slip in lexical phrasing. Despite these minor limitations and occasional word choice flaws, the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas clearly, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over past tense structures and comparative clauses, as seen in sentences like 'The pie charts illustrate the proportions of time spent on various activities...' and 'Travelling to work accounted for just 2% time in adults' time in 1958, while this figure rose to 7% in 2008.' There are some minor grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'Adults spent considerable amount of time' (missing an article) and '2% time in adults' time'. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the majority of sentences remain clear and structurally sound. This warrants a Band 6.5 score.

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

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