Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-14

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 graph demonstrates how the proportion of working adults spent their time on various activities in a specific country in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, the working adults had more proportion which significantly increased further. In contrast, adults who spent their time by travelling were least however they increased considerably.

The working adults had highest proportion of 33% in 1958 which increased upto 42%. The adults who spent their time while sleeping were 32% in 1958 and they decreased considerably by 25% in 2008. While the adults who spent by relaxing at home gradually increased from 8% in 1958 to 13% in 2008.

Furthermore, those who travelled to work in 1958 were 2% and grew upto 17% by 2008. Those who spent by going out with friends or family slowly decreased from 19% to 6%. However the individuals who spent time by playing sports remained same throughout 1958 ro 2008 upto 7%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the two years and report several relevant changes, including the rise in working (33% to 42%), the fall in sleeping (32% to 25%), and the decline in socialising (19% to 6%). However, the overview is unclear: “had more proportion” does not specify the main pattern, and the claim that travelling was the least activity is only true in 1958. More importantly, travel rose from 2% to 7%, not 17%, and sports cannot be described as unchanged because it appears only in the 2008 chart, at 7%. The response therefore covers some key information but includes a significant data error and leaves the overall comparison under-developed. State the main shifts accurately and distinguish activities shown in only one year.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs presenting details. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and connectors such as “In contrast” and “Furthermore” signal relationships between points. However, progression is weakened by the vague overview and by grouping details without a clear comparison strategy. “However” introduces the sports statement, although it does not clearly contrast with the preceding point, and “While” begins a sentence fragment-like construction before the relaxing figures. Some links feel mechanical rather than showing precise relationships. Organise the body around the largest increases and decreases, and use linking expressions only when their logical function is clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “increased,” “decreased,” and “gradually,” and the reader can generally understand which activities you mean. However, the range is limited and several phrases are unnatural or imprecise, such as “had more proportion,” “spent their time by travelling,” and “grew upto.” Repetition of “adults who spent” also makes the description less concise. In addition, “remained same” inaccurately suggests sports was recorded in both years. Aim for standard collocations used in data reporting, such as “accounted for,” “rose to,” and “fell from … to …,” while ensuring the wording reflects the chart accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons with “while” and “however,” and most of the intended meaning remains understandable. Nevertheless, errors recur in sentence construction and grammatical patterns. For example, “Overall, the working adults had more proportion which significantly increased further” is difficult to parse, while “While the adults who spent by relaxing at home…” does not form a complete, well-controlled sentence. The phrase “increased upto” also shows problems with the preposition pattern and sentence form, and “remained same” is missing an article. Build comparisons in complete clauses—for example, “The share spent relaxing at home rose from 8% to 13%”—and check articles, verb forms, and punctuation.

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

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