Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-21
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 5.0)
The pie chart illustrate the percentage of how working adults in a particular country spent their time on various activities in 1958 and 2008.
Overall, In 1958 People prefer to spent their most time on work and sleep 33 and 32 percent respectively. in contrast the least common activity was relaxing at home and traveling to work. 8% and 2% percent respectively. While going out with friends and family remain moderate about 19% percent.
In comparison, In 2008 people spend their most time on working about 42% percent and sleeping is the second most common activity they spend their 25% percent of the day. The least common activity is playing sports, going out with friends and families and traveling to work, 6, 7 and 6 percent respectively. However relaxing at home will be considered 3rd common activity by working adults.
In conclusion, in both pie charts of 1958 and 2006 people prefer to spend their most of the time at work and sleeping. Where the least common activity are travelling to work, and playing sports. However going out with friends and families is third most common in 1958, However in 2008 trends changed, it will remain least common for people so they will prefer to relax at home rather than to go out with their friends and families.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student attempts to address the task by comparing the two pie charts for 1958 and 2008. An overview is provided in the conclusion, though some main features are slightly inaccurate or confused. For instance, the student states that the least common activity in 1958 was relaxing at home and traveling to work (8% and 2%), but forgets that playing sports was also 7% (though sports is only present in 2008 in the data, the student mistakenly tries to parse details). There are also issues with data precision, such as stating going out with friends and family was 6%, 7%, and 6% across categories (the data shows 19% in 1958 and 6% in 2008). The overall response covers the main trends broadly, but mechanical listing of figures and minor misinterpretations pull this down.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is divided into four paragraphs, following a standard introduction, body, and conclusion structure. However, logical progression is hindered by repetitive phrasing and poor cohesive integration. Phrases like 'In comparison, In 2008' and 'In conclusion, in both pie charts of 1958 and 2006' show awkward transitions. Furthermore, referencing is sometimes unclear, and cohesive devices are overused mechanically (e.g., 'respectively' is misused or appended awkwardly to lists of percentages). Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion lacks fluidity.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently relying on simple terms like 'spend their most time', 'common activity', and 'least common activity'. There are noticeable word-form and collocation errors, such as 'The pie chart illustrate' (lack of agreement), 'spent their most time on work' instead of 'spent the most time working', and 'percent' placement errors like '8% and 2% percent respectively'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success and accuracy.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is weak. There are frequent errors in tense usage and verb forms, such as 'will be considered 3rd common activity' and 'trends changed, it will remain least common'. Punctuation is also problematic, with run-on structures and comma splices (e.g., 'sleeping is the second most common activity they spend their 25% percent of the day. The least common activity is...'). These errors cause some difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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