Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-09-30

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 6.5)

The pie charts compare the percentage of the day working adults spent on various activities in a particular country in 1958 and 2008. Overall, working was the most prominent activity in both years, followed closely by sleeping. While time allocated to working, commuting, and relaxing at home increased over the 50-year period, the proportion of time spent sleeping and going out with family or friends decreased.

In 1958 and 2008, working accounted for the highest proportions at 33% and 42% respectively. Sleeping was second in 1958 at 32%, but this figure fell to 25% in 2008. Conversely, relaxing at home rose from 8% in 1958 to 13% in 2008, and playing sports saw a slight increase from 6% to 7%.

Travelling to work experienced an increase from 2% in 1958 to 9% (or 8% depending on the specific source chart data) in 2008. Meanwhile, going out with friends and family stood at 19% in 1958, making it a significant part of the day, but dropped dramatically to 6% by 2008

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and highlighting key trends and comparisons between 1958 and 2008. The main features are identified accurately, such as working being the most prominent activity in both years and the significant shifts in sleeping and socialising. Data is reported correctly, with only a minor hedge regarding the exact figure for travelling to work in 2008 (noting 9% or 8%), which still reflects the visual data reasonably well. The overview effectively captures the broader changes across the 50-year period.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organised into an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group related activities effectively. Cohesive devices are used appropriately to guide the reader through the data, as seen in transitions like 'Overall', 'While', and 'Conversely'. Paragraphing is logical, with each paragraph serving a distinct purpose in comparing the two years. Reference pronouns and substitution are managed well to avoid unnecessary repetition, ensuring clear logical progression throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with good flexibility and precision, using appropriate terms for a task 1 response such as 'prominent activity', 'proportion', 'allocated', and 'conversely'. Less common lexical items are used with some awareness of collocation, and errors are rare. While the vocabulary is not overly sophisticated, it is entirely adequate to convey the data clearly and accurately, supporting a solid band 7 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

A good variety of complex structures is used successfully, such as subordinate clauses ('While time allocated to working... increased...') and participial phrases. The majority of sentences are error-free, and control of grammar and punctuation is generally strong. There is a slight slip with punctuation at the very end of the text (missing a full stop), but this is a minor issue that does not impede communication. The grammatical range is well-suited to the demands of Task 1.

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

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