Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-26

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 pie chart contributes the proportion of total time spent by working staff in a specific country during the fifty-year period.

In general, the chart had the highest percentage of working, years ago and had the smallest ratio when travelling for work. Then the trends changed and the category of going out with friends and family had the smallest share, while the working remained almost the same.

In 1998, the highest amount of time was spend on working, accounting for 33%, followed by sleeping at 32%, whereas in 2008 the working sector contributed about 42% of daily time while, the sleeping section comprised of 29% of daily time. The travel to the workplaces took less time that is about 2% and then increased to 7% in 2018.

The ratio of relaxation at home was only at 8%, but later rose to a percentage of 13%.There was a large trend of going out with friends and families, amounting at 19% in 1958 and reduced to 6%. Furthermore, the sports sector contributed about 7% of the day spent by the working adults.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student attempts to summarise the main features of the pie charts comparing 1958 and 2008. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, though it contains confusing phrasing and inaccuracies ('had the smallest ratio when travelling for work... while the working remained almost the same'). Furthermore, the student misstates several data points, referring to '1998' instead of 1958, and incorrectly stating that sleeping in 2008 accounted for 29% (actual figure: 25%) and that working in 1958 was 33% (correct, but other figures drift). While working adults, sleeping, and relaxing are mentioned, the inaccuracies in data transcription and the flawed overview prevent the response from achieving a higher band. It satisfies the basic task requirement of reporting main features and making comparisons, but with noticeable data errors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is divided into four paragraphs, showing an attempt at a structured format with an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. However, logical progression is frequently hindered by clumsy transitions and confusing comparative statements. Cohesive devices such as 'In general', 'whereas', and 'Furthermore' are used, but referencing is sometimes unclear or misused, particularly regarding dates ('1998' and '2018' which do not appear in the prompt). Paragraphing is present, but the grouping of ideas lacks seamless flow. Overall, the arrangement is coherent enough to follow, but cohesion is mechanical and sometimes faulty.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, attempting words and phrases such as 'proportion', 'category', 'sector', and 'ratio'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'contributes the proportion' instead of 'illustrates the proportion', 'working sector', and 'the travel to the workplaces'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but vocabulary control lacks the precision needed for higher bands. Less common lexical items are attempted, but their usage is occasionally unnatural or imprecise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'In 1998, the highest amount of time was spend on working...' and '...while the sleeping section comprised of 29% of daily time.' There are several grammatical errors, including tense and preposition slips ('was spend' instead of 'was spent', 'comprised of' instead of 'comprised', 'took less time that is about'), and incorrect year references ('1998', '2018'). Complex structures are often attempted but are prone to inaccuracies. Nevertheless, the errors do not severely impede overall communication, allowing the reader to grasp the general intent of the writing.

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

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