Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-21

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 6.5)

The two pie charts compare how the working adults of a country spent their time of the day in 1958 and 2008. Overall, there has been a increase in the time adults spend working in a day.

In 1958, most of the time of an adults's day was spent in working and sleeping about 33% and 32% respectively, whereas 19% of it was spent in outdoor trips with friends and family. Commute to work took almost negligible time about 2%, while 8% of it was spent relaxing at home. Only 6% of the days time was associated with playing sports.

Whereas in 2008, there was an 7% increase in the working time, associated with an equal magnitude of decrease in sleeping time. Relaxing at home was given more priority than half a century ago, while going out with friends and family underwent a decrease of 13%. Commute to work took more time than it did earlier about 5% more, with playing sports staying more or less the same.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall change—that working took a larger share of the day in 2008—and include several relevant comparisons. The figures for work, sleep, travel and socialising are mostly reported accurately: for example, work rose from 33% to 42%, while going out fell from 19% to 6%. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear. Playing sports is not shown in 1958, so the claim that it accounted for 6% then and stayed similar is unsupported; it was 7% in 2008. Also, “an 7% increase” describes the difference in percentage points imprecisely, and the overview could cover the main shifts beyond work. A more complete overview would note the rise in commuting and relaxing alongside the decline in sleep and social outings.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction and overview are followed by a paragraph on 1958 and one on 2008. This makes the comparison easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “whereas” and “while” help connect contrasting information. The progression is generally logical, but the final paragraph lists changes without consistently giving the 2008 figures, so readers must infer some comparisons. “Whereas in 2008” also begins a sentence fragment-like transition rather than forming a balanced comparison with the previous paragraph. To strengthen cohesion, group related increases and decreases and state both years’ figures where useful, using clear references rather than relying on phrases such as “more priority” or “more or less the same.”

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing charts, including “compare,” “decrease,” “relaxing,” and “commute.” Some less common phrasing is attempted, such as “underwent a decrease,” but several choices are unnatural or imprecise for this task. “Outdoor trips with friends and family” does not accurately name the chart category, and “was given more priority” suggests a deliberate choice rather than a share of time. “Almost negligible time” is also an awkward way to describe the 2% figure. These choices do not prevent understanding, but more precise chart language and natural collocations would improve control. Prefer the category labels “going out with friends/family” and “travelling to work,” and describe proportions as shares of the day.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including a comparison with “whereas” and a clause beginning “while,” and the main message remains clear. Some grammatical errors persist, however. The opening overview has “a increase,” which needs the article “an,” and “an adults's day” has incorrect article and possessive forms. In “Only 6% of the days time,” the possessive apostrophe is missing. The construction “Whereas in 2008, there was…” is not well integrated with the preceding sentence, and “with playing sports staying…” is an awkwardly attached clause. Check articles, possessives and sentence boundaries, and make sure each comparison is expressed in a complete, balanced sentence.

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

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