Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The pie charts compare the information of the day spent by working adults on various activities in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, most time of the day of a working adult was spent on work in both given periods. However, the number of activities during a day of a working adult had increased in 2008.

In 1985, the working adults had a few activities during the day. 33% of their time was spent on work, while 32% was occupied by sleep. A partially large propotion of 19% was spent on going out with family or friends. The amount of time spent on travelling to work was the least in their entire day, just 2%.

In 2008, the number of activities during a working adult's day had increased, where work occupied almost half proportion of their entire day, at 42%. The rest of the day was divided into small activities like playing sports and travelling to work, both at 7%. Whereas, 25% time of the day was spent on sleep.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response identifies the main pattern that work took the largest share in both years and reports several relevant figures, including work, sleep, socialising and commuting. However, coverage is incomplete and some key comparisons are missing: relaxing at home rose from 8% to 13%, while going out with friends or family fell sharply from 19% to 6%. The 2008 account also omits these categories, and the overview’s claim that the number of activities increased is not clearly supported as a main comparison. There is a factual error in calling the earlier year “1985” rather than 1958. To strengthen the summary, give an accurate overview and compare the major rises and falls across both charts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and separate paragraphs for the two years. This makes the information reasonably easy to follow. However, the progression is limited because the body largely lists figures year by year rather than making direct comparisons between the charts. Some linking is awkward or incomplete: “Whereas, 25% time of the day was spent on sleep” is a fragment, and “In 2008, the number of activities … had increased, where…” does not connect the ideas clearly. The overview also repeats the claim about increased activities. Organise the body around changes—such as work and commuting rising while sleep and socialising declined—and use complete, clearly linked sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

There is enough vocabulary to describe the chart, and phrases such as “occupied by sleep,” “spent on travelling to work” and “divided into” show some range. Meaning is generally understandable, but several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural. “The information of the day spent” is an awkward description of what the charts show; “a partially large propotion” is both misspelled and unsuitable; and “almost half proportion” is not a natural way to express 42%. The repeated use of “activities” also makes the account less precise. Use standard chart language such as “the proportion of the day,” “accounted for” and “share,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the contrast clause “while 32% was occupied by sleep” and the relative clause “both at 7%.” Most sentences communicate the intended figures, so grammatical errors rarely prevent understanding. Some sentence structures are nevertheless incomplete or awkward: “Whereas, 25% time of the day was spent on sleep” is a fragment, while “the number of activities … had increased, where work occupied…” uses an unclear clause connection. There are also issues with articles and noun phrases, as in “25% time of the day” and “almost half proportion.” Aim for complete sentences and clearer clause links, for example, “By 2008, work accounted for 42% of the day, while sleep fell to 25%.”

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

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