Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-12

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 illustrates the proportion of different activities that employees spent their day in 1958 and 2008.

overall, working recorder as the most prominant way of spending their day.

traveling to work contributed the least proportion in both years, while other activities fluctuated.

in 1958, one third proportion was spent on working, which grew by 9% in 2008. playing sports and relaxing at home grew from 5 to 7, and 8 to 13 respectively. traveling to work represented a mare of just 2% in 1958 which then rose to 7% in 2008.

sleep recorded as 32% of total time spending, which fall to 25% in 2008.

in 1958, 19% of the day was spent on going out with family and friends which reduce significantly to 6%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the rise in working time from 33% to 42%, the fall in sleeping from 32% to 25%, and the sharp decline in socialising from 19% to 6%. However, the overview is not fully accurate: travelling was the smallest category in 1958, but in 2008 both travelling and playing sports were 7%, so neither was uniquely the least. The sports comparison is also incorrect: the chart shows sports only in 2008, at 7%, not a rise from 5%. Your response is 127 words, below the required 150, and this limits how fully you can select and report the main features. Include the missing 2008 sports category and clarify the overall shifts.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs reporting figures. This helps the reader follow the main comparisons, and phrases such as “which then rose to 7%” connect changes across the two years. However, the progression is limited because the figures are mostly listed one after another rather than grouped into clear patterns, such as increases and decreases. The overview is separated from the body, but its broad statement that other activities “fluctuated” does not guide the reader towards the key contrasts. Paragraphing and sentence links are also inconsistent, including the abrupt standalone sentence about sleeping. Group related categories and use clearer transitions to create a more continuous comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “represented,” “grew,” and “reduce significantly,” so the reader can generally understand the comparisons. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “working recorder as the most prominant way” does not clearly express that work had the largest share, while “a mare of just 2%” is unclear. “Time spending” is also an awkward phrase, and spelling errors such as “prominant” reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, conventional expressions for proportions and changes, and check spelling carefully. For example, “accounted for” and “fell to” would make the data descriptions clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some complex sentences, for example, “Sleep recorded as 32% of total time spending, which fall to 25% in 2008,” and “travelling to work represented … 2% … which then rose to 7%.” These show an effort to connect information, but errors in verb forms and sentence construction are frequent enough to make parts difficult to read. “Sleep recorded” needs a passive form, and “which fall” should use a past-tense verb. The opening overview also lacks a complete grammatical structure, and capitalisation is inconsistent after full stops. Use straightforward, complete sentences first, then add subordinate clauses only when their grammar is secure.

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

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