Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-19
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)
As illustrated in the given pie charts there have been some interesting era-defining changes in the daily life of a working adult over the span of fifty years.
The least notable changes can be seen in the sports activities of a working adult as they remained largely same, sports haven't seen much of an incline or decline in the life of a working adult.
While the 2008 chart also indicates that the life of a working adult in 2008 is more occupied as compared to 1958. An adult in the modern age spends way less time relaxing at home or going out with friends and family. The 2008 chart displays a clear increase in work load leading to more time being spent at work instead of home. The busy life of an adult in 2008 shows that they get less sleep and spend more time getting to work and completing office tasks.
The pie charts depict a clear picture of the fast times of 2008 and how it has affected the life of a a working person.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to summarise the main features of the two pie charts, noting overall trends such as increased working hours and reduced time for leisure or sleep in 2008 compared to 1958. However, the response fails to include specific data points or percentages from the charts to support these claims, relying instead on vague generalisations like "way less time relaxing." Furthermore, there is a factual contradiction regarding the data: the student states that "sports activities... remained largely same," whereas the charts show playing sports at 7% in 2008 and completely absent (0%) in 1958, meaning it actually appeared as a new category rather than remaining the same. Because of the lack of specific data support and inaccurate reporting of key features, the task achievement is limited.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is divided into an introduction, a couple of body paragraphs, and a brief concluding sentence, but the paragraphing lacks standard Academic Task 1 structure. The transitions between ideas feel abrupt, and cohesive devices are minimal or mechanical. For instance, the second paragraph opens with "The least notable changes can be seen in the sports activities..." but the subsequent discussion lacks clear logical progression. While there is an overall attempt to structure the response, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the progression of ideas is hindered by repetitive phrasing and weak organisational links.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common phrases such as "era-defining changes," "work load," and "fast times of 2008." However, word choice and collocations are occasionally awkward, such as "largely same" instead of "largely the same" or "sports haven't seen much of an incline or decline." There is also a repetitive use of working adult terminology throughout the text. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical range lacks the precision and flexibility expected at higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as introductory participial phrases ("As illustrated in the given pie charts...") and dependent clauses ("While the 2008 chart also indicates..."). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are run-on sentences and punctuation slips, such as missing commas after introductory clauses. Additionally, minor errors occur, such as "largely same" (missing article) and a duplication error in the conclusion ("life of a a working person"). Complex structures are sometimes faulty, leading to sentences that lack a main verb or complete thought, though communication is generally not impeded.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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