Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-17
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 given pie charts illustrates the information about time spent on different activities by the employed adults in a particular country in 1958 and 2008.
Overall, it can be observed that almost a two-thirds of employees spent their time sleeping in 1958 while in 2008 more employees spent much time working. Moreover, less employees spent less time on travelling to work.
To commence with, in 1958 adult employees who spent time on sleeping were the highest who accounted for 32% then declined sharply to 25% in 2008. On the other hand travelling to work accounted for the lowest proportion of 2% in 1958 which escaleted to 7% in 2008. Furthermore, working represented the biggest share in 2008 of 42%.
Additionally, playing sports was introduced in 2008 with 7% going out with family or friends descended from 19% in 1958 to 6% in 2008. Moreover, relaxing at home had increased considerably from 8% in 19518 to 13% in 2008
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all key parts of the task by reporting the main features of the pie charts for both years and making relevant comparisons. An overview is present, highlighting the main shifts such as the increase in working hours and the decrease in sleeping time. However, there are some minor factual inaccuracies and awkward generalisations in the overview, such as claiming that 'almost a two-thirds of employees spent their time sleeping in 1958' (the actual figure is 32%, which is roughly one-third, not two-thirds). Data is generally reported accurately elsewhere (e.g., working at 42% in 2008, travelling to work rising from 2% to 7%). Overall, the task is addressed competently, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7, but minor data misreadings prevent a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing specific data points. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'Overall', 'To commence with', 'On the other hand', and 'Additionally'. However, some of the transitions and referencing are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'To commence with' used to introduce data rather than an argument. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, and there is a clear overall progression from the general trends to specific breakdown categories.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with appropriate use of data-reporting terms like 'accounted for', 'declined sharply', and 'escalated'. There are, however, some noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'less employees spent less time' (should be 'fewer employees') and a typographical error with '19518'. Less common items are attempted with mixed success, and while communication is never impeded, the lexical range remains somewhat limited and repetitive.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and comparative structures. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'almost a two-thirds' (incorrect article usage with plural/fractional expressions) and 'adult employees who spent time on sleeping were the highest who accounted for 32%'. Punctuation is occasionally missing, as seen in the run-on structure in the final sentence ('with 7% going out... descended from...'). Despite these errors, the majority of simple sentences are clear and do not impede communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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