Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-20

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 compare how working aged people spent their time between 1958 and 2008, in a particular country.

Overall, both working and sleeping were the dominant figures in both 1958 and 2008. However, the number of people spending their time for outing with their family or friends decreased noticeably over the given period.

In 1958 most people spent their time by working (33%) and sleeping (32%). Additionally, spending time by going out with family and friends represented a moderate figure for 19%. On the other hand, travelling acconted for the smallest proportion compared to the other activities at 2%.

In 2008, working and sleeping occuoied the larrgest figures among other activities 42% and 25%, respectively. Meanwhile, the number of people spending their time on travelling to work

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the two years and report several accurate figures, including working and sleeping in both years and the 1958 travel figure. The overview also notes that going out with friends or family declined, which is an important change. However, the response is incomplete: the 2008 discussion stops mid-sentence, leaving several key categories and comparisons unreported, and there is no full summary of the main changes. The requirement to write at least 150 words is also not met. These omissions mean the task is addressed only partially, rather than providing a sufficiently complete account of the charts. To improve, finish the comparison and include the major changes, such as the rise in working and travel, the fall in sleeping and social outings, and the appearance of sports in 2008.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for 1958 and 2008. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and linking phrases such as “Overall,” “Additionally,” and “On the other hand” help signal relationships. However, the final paragraph ends abruptly after “travelling to work,” so the progression is unfinished and the comparison between years is not brought together. Some transitions also connect details without developing a complete account. Complete the final paragraph and organise the figures around clear comparisons—for example, increases in one group and decreases in another—so that cohesion supports the full summary rather than a partial list.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “accounted for,” “dominant,” and “decreased noticeably,” showing an attempt to describe data rather than simply repeat labels. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “dominant figures” and “spending their time for outing” do not express the intended ideas naturally, while “working aged people” is an awkward description of the group. There are also spelling errors in “acconted,” “occupoied,” and “larrgest,” which reduce the accuracy of the vocabulary. Aim for precise collocations such as “the largest shares” and “the proportion of time spent travelling,” and check spelling carefully. This would make the range you attempt clearer and more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple statements and more developed structures, including “However, the number of people … decreased” and “On the other hand, travelling accounted for…”. Most of the intended meaning is understandable. Some grammatical patterns are less controlled, however. In “spending time by going out with family and friends represented a moderate figure,” the subject and structure are awkward, and “working and sleeping occupied the largest figures among other activities 42% and 25%” lacks clear punctuation and a natural grammatical link to the figures. The final sentence is incomplete, which also prevents the reader from seeing how the comparison was meant to continue. Practise complete comparative sentences and use a colon or “at” to introduce percentages clearly.

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

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