Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

The pie charts compare how working adults in a particular country allocated their time to six different activities in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, the proportion of the day spent working increased considerably over the 50-year period, while the figures for sleeping and socializing with friends and family declined. By contrast, adults spent more time relaxing at home and travelling to work in 2008 than they did in 1958.

In 1958, working and sleeping accounted for the largest proportions of the day, at 33% and 32%, respectively. Going out with friends and family was also relatively common, representing 19% of adults' time. By comparison, considerably smaller percentages were recorded for relaxing at home and playing sports or pursuing other interests, at 8% and 6%, respectively. Travelling to work accounted for the smallest share, at just 2%.

By 2008, the proportion of time devoted to working had risen significantly to 42%, making it the largest category, whereas sleeping had fallen to 25%. Time spent relaxing at home also increased, from 8% to 13%. Similarly, commuting rose from 2% to 7%, while playing sports and other interests increased slightly from 6% to 7%. The most noticeable decline was in socializing with friends and family, which dropped sharply from 19% to just 6%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The student produces a fully developed response that covers all parts of the prompt well. The overview clearly highlights the main trends, such as the increase in working and relaxing at home, alongside the decreases in sleeping and socializing. Specific data points from both 1958 and 2008 are accurately cited to support comparisons, such as working rising from 33% to 42% and socializing dropping from 19% to 6%. The information is well-selected, accurate against the visual data, and logically structured, fulfilling all requirements of Academic Task 1 at a high standard.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression from the introductory paraphrase to the overview, followed by detailed body paragraphs for each year. Cohesive devices are used naturally and effectively without being obtrusive, using transitional phrases such as "By contrast," "In 1958," and "By 2008." Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct time frames and ideas, ensuring smooth transitions between points.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a wide and flexible range of vocabulary suited to academic report writing. Phrases like "allocated their time," "proportion of the day," "accounted for the largest proportions," and "sharp decline" show a strong command of less common lexical items and collocations. Word choices are precise, and there are no noticeable spelling or word-choice errors, allowing for fluent and natural communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The response features a wide range of complex sentence structures used with a high degree of accuracy. The majority of sentences are error-free, featuring sophisticated subordination and participial clauses (e.g., "making it the largest category, whereas sleeping had fallen to 25%"). Punctuation and grammatical control are handled with precision throughout the text.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.