Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-17

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 illustrate percentages of the day spent by working adults on various activities during the years 1958 and 2008.

Overall, adults soent their most time on working by 1958, while they spent a littile when they travelling to work. However, the largest proportion for adults is by working in 2008, meanwhile they spent a little time outside with thier friends and family.

In 1958, working adults experienced the most activity with 33%. Followed by sleeping and it's the second most activity with 32%. Although, adults they don't spent to much time in going out with friends or family at just 19%. Adults get relaxing at home at just 8%. Finaly, the least activity that adults spending their time is travelling to work at 2.

In 2008, working experienced an increase to 42%. While sleeping steadily went down to 25%. However, relaxing at home shows a dramatic increase to 13%, also playing sports and travelling to work remaind at the same percentage at 7%. Finaly, the least activity in this year is going out with friends and family at just 6%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern that working takes the largest share in both years and report several relevant figures, including the rise from 33% to 42%, the fall in sleeping from 32% to 25%, and the decline in socialising from 19% to 6%. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: “adults soent their most time on working by 1958” does not clearly express the comparison, and travelling to work was not the smallest activity in 2008, since going out was lower at 6% while travel and sport were both 7%. The account also misses the important addition of playing sports in 2008 and does not consistently compare the two years. Select the key changes and state them clearly in the overview to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for 1958 and 2008. This helps the reader follow the broad time sequence. However, progression within the paragraphs is often list-like, and linking words are sometimes used inaccurately or mechanically. For example, “Although” begins a sentence without a contrasting clause, while “However” and “Finaly” recur without always clarifying the relationship between points. The overview also combines ideas in a confusing way, particularly “they spent a littile when they travelling to work.” Grouping increases together and decreases together, then using clear comparisons between years, would create a more logical progression and stronger cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary such as “proportion,” “increase,” “went down,” and “dramatic increase,” and the reader can generally identify the activities being described. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, making some statements difficult to understand. Phrases such as “experienced the most activity,” “adults get relaxing at home,” and “spent a little time outside with their friends” do not express the chart information naturally. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “soent,” “littile,” “thier,” and “Finaly.” Use precise chart language—for example, “accounted for,” “share,” and “spending time socialising”—and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple sentences and longer structures, including clauses introduced by “while” and “although.” However, complex attempts are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences hard to follow. Examples include “adults they don't spent to much time,” “the least activity that adults spending their time,” and “playing sports and travelling to work remaind at the same percentage.” These contain problems with clause structure, verb forms, and sentence completeness. The sentence beginning “While sleeping steadily went down to 25%” is also a fragment. Practise forming complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use consistent past-tense reporting forms such as “sleeping fell” and “travel and sport each accounted for.”

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

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