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 charts illustrate the adults who worked in the various activities across a particular region between 1958 and 2008.

Overall, the most significant amount of time was spent on working in both periods while sleeping stood at a second place. However, the rest of activities were least common in terms of time spent.

In 1958, 33% of time spent on working which was the highest figure of that time. While sleep followed by 32% and compared to working it was the second largest number. 19% of people spent the time with their families and friends while individuals going to their work tak 2% of time to reach and 8% of persons waste time in relaxing at home.

IN 2008, individuals who worked, spent time at a proportion of 42% and 25% of time being spent on sleeping. The individuals who relaxed at houses passed time at 13%, whereas exactly 7% of time spent on both activities like travelling to work and playing sports. Finally, the people who gone with their friends and families spent only 6% of time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern that working takes the largest share in both years, and you report several key figures accurately: work rises from 33% to 42%, sleep falls from 32% to 25%, and travel increases from 2% to 7%. The overview also notes that the other activities take smaller shares. However, the overview is not fully precise: sleeping is second in 1958, but in 2008 relaxing at home (13%) is second, ahead of sleeping. The phrase “the rest of activities were least common” also overlooks the notable change in socialising, which drops from 19% to 6%, and the addition of sports at 7%. A clearer overview comparing the main rises and falls would make the key features more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for 1958 and 2008. This makes the two years easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “while,” “whereas,” and “Finally” help connect comparisons. Some cohesion is mechanical or unclear, however. The 1958 paragraph begins with a sentence fragment, “While sleep followed by 32%,” and the repeated pattern of listing figures makes the information feel more like a sequence than a comparison. The overview’s reference to “the rest of activities” is also vague. Grouping the main increases together and the decreases together, with clearer references to each activity, would improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “highest figure,” “second largest,” and “relaxing at home,” so the meaning is generally clear. There is some attempt to vary wording, but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing chart data. For example, “adults who worked in the various activities” suggests the adults worked at all the activities, and “waste time” gives an inappropriate judgement about relaxing. “Spent the time with their families and friends” is also less precise than naming the activity as socialising. Some repetition of “individuals” and “time spent” limits flexibility. Aim for concise, neutral collocations such as “accounted for,” “the share spent on,” and “socialising with friends and family.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including comparisons with “while” and “whereas,” and the overall meaning can usually be understood. However, errors in sentence construction and verb forms are noticeable. “In 1958, 33% of time spent on working” lacks a finite verb and an article; “While sleep followed by 32%” is a fragment; and “the people who gone” has an incorrect verb form. There are also problems with agreement and sentence boundaries in “individuals who worked, spent time at a proportion of 42%.” These issues make some sentences awkward or incomplete. Practise complete clauses with accurate subjects and verbs, for example, “Working accounted for 33% of the day in 1958.”

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

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