Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-01

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 illustrate the percentage of the day spent by working adults on various activities in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, working accounted for the largest proportion, while travelling to work represented the smallest share. It is also noticeable that relaxing at home and travelling to work had relatively significant increases, whereas sleeping and going out with friends/family accounted for smaller shares over the period.

Looking first at the larger proportions, working accounted for 33% in 1958, making it the largest category. This was followed by sleeping, which represented 32%. Going out with friends/family accounted for 19%, which was lower than the figure for sleeping. Taken together, these categories made up 84% of the overall figure.

Turning to the remaining categories, relaxing at home accounted for 8%, while travelling to work represented 2%. The smallest proportion was recorded for travelling to work, at 2%. Compared with working, this figure was considerably lower, while relaxing at home was approximately four times as large as travelling to work. In 2008, working increased to 42%, sleeping decreased to 25%, relaxing at home increased to 13%, travelling to work increased to 7%, and going out with friends/family decreased to 6%, while playing sports accounted for 7%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and highlighting key trends across both years. The data is accurately reported, with clear comparisons made between categories, such as working being the largest proportion at 33% in 1958 and rising to 42% in 2008. The main features are identified and well-supported with relevant figures, though there is a slight redundancy in the fourth paragraph where travelling to work is mentioned twice in close succession ("while travelling to work represented 2%. The smallest proportion was recorded for travelling to work, at 2%"). To reach the highest band, the overview could be slightly more expansive, fully encapsulating the broader socio-temporal shifts seen across the two decades rather than just a couple of isolated movements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response demonstrates clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is grouped sensibly, moving from a general introductory overview into detailed descriptions of the larger and smaller categories, and finally detailing the 2008 data. Paragraphing is managed effectively, with distinct topical focuses for each section. Cohesive devices are used flexibly and appropriately, such as transitional phrases like "Looking first at the larger proportions," "Taken together," and "Turning to the remaining categories." Referencing is generally clear, though paragraph four becomes slightly dense with multiple data points listed consecutively without as much structural variation, which prevents the cohesion from feeling entirely seamless. Maintaining a more balanced distribution of cohesive structures across all paragraphs would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

The response demonstrates a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to academic reporting. Less common lexical items and phrases are used effectively, such as "accounted for the largest proportion," "represented the smallest share," and "approximately four times as large." Word choice and collocation are generally natural, and spelling is accurate throughout. Minor slips occur in stylistic variation, such as repeating the exact data for travelling to work twice in the same paragraph, which slightly limits lexical precision. To move into higher bands, the writer could incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary to describe degrees of change and proportion, such as "constituted," "marginal increase," or "experiencing a marked upward trajectory."

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The response exhibits a wide range of complex sentence structures used with strong control. The majority of sentences are error-free, reflecting a high level of grammatical accuracy. Complex forms are handled well, including subordinate clauses and comparative structures, as seen in "Compared with working, this figure was considerably lower, while relaxing at home was approximately four times as large as travelling to work." Punctuation and verb tense consistency are well maintained throughout the text. Only very occasional minor awkwardnesses appear, but these do not impede communication or detract from the overall high standard of grammatical control demonstrated in the writing.

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

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