Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-13

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 CHART ILLUSTRATES THE PERCENTAGE OF THE DAY SPENT BY WORKING ADULTS IN 1958 AND 2008. BOTH THE CHARTS SHOW THAT WORKING ADULTS SPENT THEIR DAY DOING VARIOUS ACTIVITIES, BUT THE PROPORTION OF THESE ACTIVITIES WAS DIFFERENT IN 1958 AND 2008.

OVERALL, THE TIME SPENT WITH FAMILY IN A DAY HAD CONSIDERABLY DECREASED FROM 1958 TO 2008, HOWEVER THE PERCENTAGE OF THE DAY SPENT IN WORKING HAD RAISED.

IN 1958, THE PERCENTAGE OF DAY UTILIZED IN TRAVELLING TO WORK WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOW, REACHING TO ONLY 2%, WHILE IT HAS RAISED TO 7% IN 2008. THE PERCENTAGE OF TIME SPENT IN SLEEPING IN 1958 WAS 32%, WHICH WAS DECLINED TO 25% IN 2008. HOWEVER WORKING ADULTS SPENT MUCH TIME IN RELAXING AT HOME IN 2008, COVERING 13% OF THE DAY. WHILE IT WAS ONLY 8% IN 1958. THE DAY SPENT IN PLAYING SPORTS REMAINED SAME IN 1958 AND 2008.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the pie charts from 1958 and 2008 and making appropriate comparisons, such as noting that time spent working increased while time spent with family decreased. However, there is a penalty because the response falls one word short of the 150-word minimum requirement, containing only 149 words. Furthermore, some data points lack precise detailing or are slightly generalised. To reach a higher band, the student must ensure the word count requirement is strictly met and expand slightly on the specific proportions or groupings of data to fully develop all selected features.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear division into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph detailing specific data. The writer attempts to sequence ideas logically using transitional phrases like 'OVERALL' and 'HOWEVER'. However, the paragraphing is somewhat compressed, with all body points crammed into a single block of text, which detracts from the logical flow. Additionally, cohesive devices are occasionally repetitive or mechanical in their placement, such as the repeated use of 'THE PERCENTAGE OF'. Improving paragraph structure and varying cohesive links would enhance the overall readability and organisation of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, successfully conveying information about percentages, time, and activities such as 'TRAVELLING TO WORK', 'SLEEPING', and 'PLAYING SPORTS'. The student attempts some less common phrasing, but there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, most notably the incorrect verb form 'HAD RAISED' instead of 'HAD RISEN' or 'INCREASED', and 'WAS DECLINED' instead of 'DECLINED'. Spelling and word forms are mostly clear, but these lexical errors and a reliance on repetitive vocabulary ('PERCENTAGE', 'SPENT') restrict the score to a 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative and comparative structures. However, there are several grammatical errors regarding verb tense and voice. For instance, the intransitive verb 'raise' is used incorrectly in the passive and perfect forms ('HAD RAISED', 'HAS RAISED'), and 'WAS DECLINED' incorrectly applies a passive construction to an intransitive verb. There is also an issue with punctuation and fragmenting sentences with incorrect full stops, such as '8% IN 1958. WHILE IT WAS ONLY 8% IN 1958.' Despite these errors, communication is not severely impeded, and meaning remains clear throughout the response.

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

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