Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-14

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 7.5)

The pie charts illustrate how working adults in a particular country allocated their time to various activities in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, employed adults devoted the largest proportion of their day to work in both years. Over the 50-year period, the share of time spent working and commuting increased, whereas the proportions allocated to sleeping and socialising with friends and family declined considerably.

In 1958, working adults spent one-third of their day working (33%). This figure rose markedly to 42% in 2008, making work by far the most time-consuming activity. Another notable change was in sleeping habits, with the proportion of time spent sleeping falling from 32% to 25%. By contrast, the percentage of time devoted to relaxing at home increased from 8% to 13% over the same period.

Similarly, commuting time experienced a substantial rise, increasing from just 2% in 1958 to 7% in 2008. In contrast, social activities became far less common, as the proportion of time spent going out with friends and family dropped dramatically from 19% to only 6%. Playing sports accounted for the smallest share of time in both years and remained unchanged at 6%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response successfully satisfies all requirements of Academic Task 1 by providing a clear overview and highlighting the main features of the pie charts comparing time allocation in 1958 and 2008. The student selects key data points effectively, such as noting that work accounted for 'one-third of their day working (33%)' in 1958 and rose 'markedly to 42% in 2008'. Good comparisons are made throughout the text, including the contrast between increased working and commuting times versus declines in sleeping and socialising. The overview in the second paragraph captures the major trends accurately without missing critical details. The response is fully developed and well-supported with specific percentages.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The report demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is grouped sensibly into paragraphs, moving from an introductory overview to specific comparative details about work, sleep, commuting, and social activities. Cohesive devices are used flexibly and appropriately, such as 'Overall', 'By contrast', 'Similarly', and 'In contrast', ensuring smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs. Paragraphing is fully functional and supports the overall structure of the response. Referencing throughout the text is clear and precise, making the data very easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student employs a wide and flexible range of vocabulary suited to a Task 1 report, incorporating functional terms such as 'allocated', 'proportion', 'rose markedly', 'substantial rise', and 'dropped dramatically'. Word choice and collocations are used skillfully, and the language is natural and precise. Although the vocabulary leans towards standard reporting phrases rather than highly uncommon lexical items, it is more than sufficient for a Band 7.0 or 8.0, allowing the writer to convey precise trends and degrees of change without noticeable inaccuracies or awkward phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The writing features a diverse variety of complex structures deployed accurately, such as participial clauses ('making work by far the most time-consuming activity') and subordinate clauses ('whereas the proportions allocated to sleeping... declined considerably'). The majority of sentences are completely error-free, demonstrating excellent command of verb tenses and agreement. Punctuation is handled correctly throughout, and complex sentence forms are integrated smoothly without causing any impediment to communication. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 8 descriptors.

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

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