Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-13

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 two pie charts illustrated the proportion of working adults in a particular country utilize their time in 1958 and 2008 .

overall , it is clear that the working took up highest percentage of the day spend by adults wheras playing sports accounted for least in both years . in the adition , the outings with friends/family experienced the noticeable decrease over the period . moreover , time spend in travelling and relaxing at home slight increase and decrease respectively .

additionally , the working made up largest share in both 1958 and 2008 of 32 % to 42% . on the other hand , there is dramtically decrease in speading their time in sleeping from 32% to 25% and going out with friends / family reduces by 7% .

in contrast , the people spending time at home has marginally rise from 8% to the 13% and travelling to work increase from 2% to 7% . along with that , people spend time sports increase slightly in 1958 and 2008 .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern that work occupied the largest share in both years and report several relevant changes, including the rise in working time from 33% to 42%, the fall in sleeping from 32% to 25%, and the increase in commuting from 2% to 7%. However, the overview contains important inaccuracies: sports is shown only in 2008, at 7%, so it cannot be described as the smallest category in both years; and relaxing at home increased, rather than decreased. The statement that outings fell by 7% is correct, but the sports comparison is unclear and the 1958 working figure is misstated as 32% later in the response. A more precise overview and accurate reporting of each trend would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs reporting comparisons. This helps the reader follow the main categories. However, progression is weakened by repeated or awkward linking phrases such as “additionally,” “on the other hand,” “in contrast,” and “along with that,” some of which do not express a clear contrast or addition. The overview also groups trends inaccurately, which makes the organisation harder to follow. Consider grouping increases together and decreases together, and use fewer, more precise transitions. Clearer sentence boundaries and consistent paragraphing would also help the comparisons connect more smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “accounted for,” “percentage,” and “decrease,” and the reader can generally understand the intended comparisons. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “the working took up highest percentage,” “the outings … experienced the noticeable decrease,” and “people spend time sports.” Spelling errors, including “wheras,” “adition,” “dramtically,” and “speading,” also reduce precision. Aim for standard chart-reporting phrases such as “accounted for the largest share,” “fell considerably,” and “time spent on sport.” More accurate collocations and careful spelling would make your vocabulary more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer comparative sentences, for example, “the working made up largest share … of 32% to 42%.” However, errors in sentence construction and verb forms are frequent enough to make some sentences difficult to read. Examples include “working adults … utilize their time,” “the working took up highest percentage,” and “time spend in travelling and relaxing at home slight increase and decrease respectively.” Articles, subject–verb agreement, and tense or participle forms need more consistent control. Practise building clear comparison patterns, such as “The proportion of time spent working rose from 33% to 42%,” and check each sentence for a complete subject and verb.

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

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