Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-11

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 5.0)

The pie chart illustrate how working people in a particular country spent their time in 1958 and 2008.

In an overview , in 1958 the highest percentage of the day spent by working adults on various activities was working 33% , and the lowest percentage of the day spent by working adults on various activities was travelling to work 2% . However , in 2008 the highest proportion of the day spent by working adults on various activities was working 42% , but the lowest percentage of the day spent by working adults on various activities was going out with friend and family. As well as in 2008 only the percentage of playing sports 7% .

First and foremost , in 1958 the proportion of working 33 , and in 2008 the percentage of working 42. As well as, the percentage of relexing at home in 1958 was 8 , and in 2008 the percentage of relxing at home 13 . Furthermore the percentage of sleeping 32 in 1958 ,and in 2008 the percentage of sleeping 25.

At least but not last the percentage of travelling to work in 1958 was 2 , and in 2008 the percentage of travelling to work was 7 . At the end of the proportion of going out with friends or family in 1958 was 19 , and in 2008 the percentage of going out with friends was 6, and playing sports was only present in 2008 .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover both years and report the main categories, with several figures accurately stated: working rises from 33% to 42%, sleeping falls from 32% to 25%, and travel increases from 2% to 7%. You also identify working as the largest category in both years and travel as the smallest in 1958. However, the overview is less complete: in 2008, both going out and playing sports are 6% and 7% respectively, so going out is not the only smallest category if sports is considered alongside it; more importantly, the chart shows sports at 7%, not a category that needs to be described only as newly present. The comparisons are mostly listed rather than interpreted. A clearer overview of the major shifts, especially the fall in socialising and rise in work, would make the response more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details, and it groups several comparisons by activity. However, progression is weakened by repetitive sentence patterns and connectors that do not always express the relationship clearly. Phrases such as “First and foremost,” “As well as,” and “At least but not last” are either awkward or used mechanically, while the repeated “in 1958 … and in 2008” structure makes the detail paragraphs feel like a list. The overview also repeats the chart’s wording instead of synthesising the main changes. Organise the body into meaningful comparisons—for example, increases in work, home relaxation and commuting versus decreases in sleep and socialising—and use fewer, more precise linking expressions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for describing charts, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “overview,” and activity labels such as “travelling to work” and “sleeping.” This is enough to communicate the general subject, but the range is limited and several phrases are repeated, particularly “the percentage of the day spent by working adults on various activities.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “the proportion of working 33” and “playing sports … only present.” There are also spelling errors in “relexing” and “relxing,” and “friend and family” is not the appropriate plural form. Use concise reporting verbs and accurate chart language, such as “accounted for,” “rose to,” and “fell to,” while checking spelling and plural forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with contrast, and the reader can generally understand the comparisons. However, sentence structures are often incomplete or inaccurately formed. For example, “the proportion of working 33” lacks a verb and a clear grammatical relationship between the activity and figure; “the percentage of relaxing at home in 1958 was 8” also needs “8%” and a more complete comparison. Subject–verb agreement is incorrect in “The pie chart illustrate,” and punctuation is frequently disrupted by spaces before commas and inconsistent sentence boundaries. Build complete clauses such as “Working accounted for 33% in 1958, compared with 42% in 2008,” and check agreement, articles, and punctuation. More accurate control of these patterns would make the comparisons easier to follow.

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

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