Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-06
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 SHOW INFORMATION ABOUT DAILY TIME SPENT BY WORKING ADULTS ON DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES IN 1958 AND 2008. THERE ARE SIX ACTIVITIES SHOWS LIKE WORKING, RELAXING AT HOME, SLEEPING, TRAVELLING TO WORK, GOING OUT WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY, PLAYING SPORTS.
IN 1958, ADULTS MOSTLY SPENT TIME ON WORKING AROUND 33% OF TIME. AND 32% PASSING IN SLEEPING. FURTHERMORE 19% OF TIME SPENT WITH FREINDS OR FAMILY FOR GOING OUT. ALSO 8% OF TIME PASSING FOR RELAXING AT HOME. BUT THE MAJOUR FACT IS THAT THEY NOT SPENT ENOUGH TIME FOR PLAYING SPORTS MEANS NO PHYSCIAL ACTIVITY IN ROUTINE. AND LEAST TIME SPENT FOR TRAVELLING TO WORK PLACE.
IN 2008, WORKING TIME INCREASED 32% TO 42% BY WORKING ADULTS. THE DECLINE IN TIME SHOWN IN BOTH SLEEPING AND TIME SPENT WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY. FOR PLAYING SPORTS ADULTS STILL NOT PREFER IT ONLY 1% CHANGE SHOWN. TRAVELLING TO WORK ALSO INCREASED TO 7%. AND ADULTS PREFERE MORE TO RELAXING AT HOME THEN 1958.
OVERALL, MAJOUR TIME SPENT BY ADULTS SHOWN IN SLEEPING AND WORKING IN BOTH YEARS. FOR SLEEPING IT DECRASED IN 2008 AND WORKING TIME UP IN 2008 THEN 1958. AND THERE ARE MINI CHANGES SHOWN IN DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response partially addresses the task by reporting several key features from the charts, such as the percentages for working, sleeping, and relaxing in both years. However, the treatment of the data is limited and contains inaccuracies, such as stating that adults did not play sports in 1958 when the chart actually shows sports was only introduced as a category in 2008 at 7%. Furthermore, the claim that there was only a 1% change for playing sports misinterprets the data, as the 1958 chart had no category for sports at all. Some ideas are under-developed, and the overview only vaguely outlines the general trends without fully synthesizing the most striking comparisons, keeping the response at this partial level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure, dividing the introduction, body paragraphs for 1958 and 2008, and an overall summary. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, transitions between sentences can feel abrupt, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the dangling phrase in 'THE DECLINE IN TIME SHOWN IN BOTH SLEEPING AND TIME SPENT WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY.' Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the time periods, but the logical progression within paragraphs lacks smooth flow due to repetitive sentence starters and basic cohesive devices.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'MAJOR FACT' and 'DECLINE', but these are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and spelling, such as 'FREINDS', 'MAJOUR', 'PHYSCIAL', 'PREFERE', and 'DECRASED'. Phrasing tends to be repetitive and translation-like, for example 'TIME SPENT WITH FREINDS OR FAMILY FOR GOING OUT' or 'TIME PASSING FOR RELAXING'. These lexical inadequacies and frequent spelling errors cause some distraction for the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The writer uses a very limited range of structures, relying almost entirely on simple sentences with frequent missing verbs, articles, and prepositions. Attempts at more complex comparisons or passive voice are often faulty, such as 'THE PIE CHART SHOW INFORMATION', 'ADULTS MOSTLY SPENT TIME ON WORKING', and 'WORKING TIME INCREASED 32% TO 42%'. There are frequent errors in verb forms, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement throughout the text. Punctuation is also basic, with the entire response written in capital letters. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader.
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