Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-16

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 6.0)

The two pie charts illustrate how working adults in a particular country spent their time in 1958 and 2008.

Overall, working accounted for the highest proportion for both years. In contrast, a decline is seen in sleeping and going out with friends and family categories.

To begin with, in 1958, 33% of people were working making it the highest figure, followed by sleeping at 32% which was the second highest figure. Going out with friends and family accounted for 19%. Furthermore, relaxing at home and playing sport stood at 8% and 6% respectively. Meanwhile, 2% of people were travelling to work making it least common activity.

Turning to the remaining data, in 2008, an increase was seen in working category at 42%. In contrast, sleeping and going out with friends dropped to 25% and 6%. Relaxing at home rose to 13%. Similarly, travelling to work increased to 7% and playing sport increased slightly to 7%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern that working was the largest category in both years and note the declines in sleeping and socialising. Several figures are reported accurately, including work (33% to 42%), sleep (32% to 25%) and travel (2% to 7%). However, the account is incomplete: the chart includes playing sports only in 2008, not 1958, so the statement that it was 6% in 1958 is inaccurate. The overview could also summarise the major shifts more fully, especially the sharp fall in going out and the addition of sports. The response is 141 words, below the required 150; this limits the development of the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a brief overview, and separate paragraphs for the two years. This makes the information easy to follow, and transitions such as “Overall,” “To begin with,” and “Turning to the remaining data” signal the stages of the description. However, the final paragraph groups several changes together without much comparison between years, and “remaining data” is a somewhat mechanical transition. Some links are also repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “In contrast” and “Furthermore.” A more integrated comparison of the categories, rather than listing the 2008 figures, would create smoother progression and make the relationships between the data clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “accounted for,” “proportion,” “decline,” and “increased,” and the meaning is generally clear. There is some variation in how changes are described, such as “dropped,” “rose,” and “increased slightly.” However, several phrases are imprecise or awkward: “working category” would be more natural as “the proportion of time spent working,” while “making it least common activity” lacks an article and is not an idiomatic description. “Playing sport” is also less natural here than “playing sports.” Aim for precise chart language and avoid repeating general verbs such as “increased” when more specific alternatives are available.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, and most sentences communicate the intended comparisons clearly. The overview’s “working accounted for the highest proportion” is a well-controlled structure, and the sentence beginning “Meanwhile” combines a figure with a participial clause. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “33% of people were working making it the highest figure,” a comma is needed before “making”; “making it least common activity” also needs an article (“the least common activity”). In “an increase was seen in working category,” the noun phrase needs an article (“the working category”). These errors rarely obstruct meaning, but more consistent control of articles, punctuation and sentence construction would strengthen accuracy.

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

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