Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-03

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 charts illustrates how working adults in a particular country spent their time in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, it is clearly visible that the percentage of the day spent by working adults was highest in sleeping in 1958. And lowest in travelling to work in the same year. In 2008, adults spent maximum time in working and spent minimum time to going out with friends and families.

In 1958, adults spent 33% in working which was higher percentage than the others activity. In sleeping they spent similar percentage of working at 32%. Adults spent very less time in Relaxing at home and Travelling to work (8% and 2%). Going out with friends and families had half percentage of working at 19%.

In 2008, adults rose working hours with 42%. Relaxing at home also swellers in 2008 with 13%.Adults decliend to sleep more with 25%. youngsters spent simalar time in travelling to work and playing sports with 7% and less 1% in going out eith friends and families.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main parts of the task by selecting key features from both pie charts, such as the highest and lowest percentages in 1958 and 2008. Note that 14 words copied directly from the prompt were not counted towards the overall word count. However, the development of ideas remains limited and somewhat repetitive. For instance, the writer notes that adults spent 33% working in 1958, but the comparison and extension of data points lack depth. Some details are also inaccurately reported or confusingly phrased, such as stating that adults spent 'similar percentage of working at 32%' for sleeping, and introducing irrelevant terms like 'youngsters' when the charts clearly track working adults. To reach a higher level, the response should provide a more fully developed overview with precise data comparisons and avoid inaccurate generalisations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic organizational structure present, with an introductory sentence, body paragraphs for each year, and a concluding overview attempt embedded in the second paragraph. However, the overall progression lacks clear logical flow between sentences. Cohesive devices are used mechanically or inadequately, such as starting consecutive sentences with temporal markers like 'In 1958' and 'In 2008' without smooth transitions. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion is hindered by awkward referencing and abrupt shifts in focus. For example, moving from working percentages directly to sleeping and then relaxing creates a disjointed reading experience. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to employ a wider range of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure clear progression of ideas from one sentence to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic message of the charts. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items, but these attempts often result in noticeable errors in word choice, form, and collocation. Examples include 'swellers' instead of 'increased' or 'rose', 'decliend' (spelling error) for 'declined', and referring to working adults as 'youngsters'. Other awkward phrasings like 'spent minimum time to going out' demonstrate a lack of precision. While communication is generally maintained despite these flaws, the frequent lexical inaccuracies restrict the score. To improve, the writer should focus on expanding their range of functional vocabulary for describing data trends, paying closer attention to correct word forms, spellings, and standard collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple subject-verb-object constructions. When the writer attempts more complex sentences, errors frequently occur. There are noticeable grammatical issues throughout the text, such as missing prepositions or incorrect verb patterns in phrases like 'spent maximum time in working' and 'spent minimum time to going out'. Additionally, minor punctuation slips and awkward prepositional usage appear, such as 'higher percentage than the others activity' (pluralisation error). These frequent errors in grammar and sentence patterns can cause occasional difficulty for the reader. To progress, the writer should practice forming complex sentences accurately, ensuring correct subject-verb agreement, accurate article usage, and precise prepositions within data-reporting contexts.

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

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