Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-07

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 chart provides a breakdown of how individuals spent their time in the year 1958 and 2008, illustrating the proportion accounted by six categories, with figures expressed as percentages.

Overall, working constituted the largest proportion in both years , whereas playing sports represented the smallest share. Another noteworthy feature is that the remaining categories accounted for comparitively smaller proportions of the total except sleeping.

Working constituted 33 percent in 1958 and gradually increased by roughly ten percent by 2008, making it the predominant category. This was followed by sleeping, which accounted for 32% in 1958 and fell to 25% by 2008, while relaxing at home reprsented a further 8% during 1958 and rose to 13% in 2008.

In contrast, travelling to work, accounted for merely 2% in 1958 and went up to 7% in 2008, followed by playing sports ,which accounted for 7%, while going out with friends and family was collectively 19% in 1958 and declined to 6 % in 2008. Taken together, working and sleeping represented approximately 66% of the overall distribution, highlighting the relative dominance of the adult activities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main pattern accurately: working is the largest category in both years, while sleeping declines and travel to work rises. The key figures for these categories, as well as relaxing at home and socialising, are mostly reported correctly. The overview also attempts to compare the overall distribution. However, it contains a factual error: playing sports is not the smallest category in both years; it appears only in 2008 at 7%, while travel to work is the smallest category in 1958 at 2%. The statement that the other categories are comparatively smaller “except sleeping” is also unclear. To strengthen the response, give a more precise overview and explain the 2008 sports figure without implying a 1958 comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear four-paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the larger and smaller categories. This gives the reader a generally logical route through the information. Comparisons such as working rising from 33% to 42% and sleeping falling from 32% to 25% are grouped effectively. However, some links are mechanical or confusing: “In contrast” does not clearly signal the relationship between all the figures that follow, and “followed by playing sports” leaves the comparison unclear. The final sentence repeats the dominance of working and sleeping rather than adding a distinct concluding insight. Use clearer grouping by year or by rising and falling categories, and make each linking phrase express the exact relationship.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of chart-reporting vocabulary, including “breakdown,” “predominant,” “accounted for,” “declined,” and “represented.” These choices help maintain an appropriately formal tone, and the meaning is generally clear. Some less common expressions are not fully natural or precise, however. “Proportion accounted by six categories” is awkward, while “collectively 19%” suggests a combined figure rather than the share for one category. There are also spelling errors in “comparitively” and “reprsented,” and “gradually increased” implies a change over time that the two charts do not show. Aim for accurate collocations and use neutral verbs such as “rose” when comparing two points in time.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You demonstrate a useful mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the relative clause in “sleeping, which accounted for 32%” and the participial phrase “highlighting the relative dominance.” Most sentences are understandable, and the figures are generally placed in clear grammatical patterns. A few punctuation and sentence-structure issues remain: the comma after “travelling to work” separates the subject from its verb, and spacing around commas and the percent sign is inconsistent. The opening phrase “the proportion accounted by six categories” also has an incomplete grammatical pattern. Review comma placement and ensure that phrases such as “accounted for” have the correct complement. More consistently controlled complex sentences would improve accuracy further.

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