Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-09

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 6.0)

The pie charts provide information about proportion of the day expenditure by young employees on different activities from 1958 to 2008.

Overall, it can be seen that working remained the highest percentage of the day in both years, while travelling to work stayed the lowest value.

In the beginning, working and sleeping contributed equally, at 33 and 32%, which made up the largest expenditure of the day. Then, going out with friends and family was slightly lower at 19%, while relaxing at home and travelling to work relatively minor of spent day, which accounted for 8% and 2% respectively.

By 2008, working once again claimed the largest proportion of the day at 42%. However, sleeping saw a notable decline from 32 to 25% over the 50-year period. Playing sports and travelling contributed equally, at 7%. Finally, going out with friends and family showed a significant decline from 19 to 6%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern that working took the largest share in both years and report several relevant figures accurately, including the fall in sleeping and socialising and the rise in commuting. However, the overview says commuting “stayed the lowest value,” which is true for 1958 but not 2008: in 2008, going out with friends and family was lowest at 6%, while travel and sport were both 7%. The account also omits the increase in relaxing at home from 8% to 13%, an important comparison, and the opening description incorrectly calls the adults “young.” The response covers the charts, but some key comparisons are less fully and precisely presented; include the main changes in the overview and distinguish the two years clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence: an introduction and overview are followed by a paragraph on 1958 and one on 2008. This makes the information easy to follow, and transitions such as “By 2008” and “However” help signal time and contrast. The progression is generally logical, though the overview’s claim that travel was the lowest in both years conflicts with the later 2008 figures, weakening the connection between the summary and details. Some linking is also formulaic, particularly “In the beginning” and “Finally.” To strengthen cohesion, organise the overview around the overall rises and falls, then use the detail paragraphs to compare corresponding categories across both years rather than listing each chart separately.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “accounted for,” “decline,” and “contributed equally,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are, however, several inaccurate or unnatural choices that limit precision. “Proportion of the day expenditure” is an awkward phrase, and “young employees” adds an unsupported description; the chart refers to working adults. “Travelling to work stayed the lowest value” is also an imprecise way to describe a category’s share. In addition, “relatively minor of spent day” is not a natural collocation. Aim for standard reporting phrases such as “share of the day,” “accounted for the smallest proportion,” and “a relatively small share.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the contrast in “while travelling to work stayed…” and the time clause “By 2008.” Most sentences communicate the intended comparisons, but some grammatical errors remain. In “proportion of the day expenditure,” the noun phrase is not formed correctly; “the proportion of the day spent on…” would be clearer. The phrase “relaxing at home and travelling to work relatively minor of spent day” lacks a finite verb and has an incomplete structure; write, for example, “accounted for relatively small shares of the day.” Also use “at 33% and 32%” rather than “at 33 and 32%.” More consistently complete sentence structures and accurate percentage phrasing would improve control.

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.