Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-26

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 the layout of how working adults spend their time in a particular country in between 1958 and 2008.

Overall, it is clear that the majority of working and sleeping rose dramatically in both years, while the major changes have going out with friends and family decline rapidly. It is noticeable that the playing sports have remain stable.

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To commence, in 1958 their are little difference between working and sleeping to spend their time respectively 33% and 32%. The playing sports remain constant amount for 7%, while it third time double to the going out with friends and family 19%. Moreover, the Travelling to work have 2% but the Relaxing at home rise sharply 8%.

On the other hand, in 2008 sleeping decline 8%, whereas the working become raising slightly from 33 to 42%. Furthermore, the playing sports remain unchange upto 7% and the major difference in going out with friends and family it diminished at 6%. In addition, the Travelling to work and Relaxing at home both rise gradually 7% and 13% similarly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main broad changes: working takes a larger share in 2008, sleeping and socialising take smaller shares, and travel and relaxing at home increase. Most figures are reported accurately, including work (33% to 42%), sleep (32% to 25%), and going out (19% to 6%). However, the overview is unclear and contains a factual error: sports is not shown in 1958, so it cannot be described as remaining stable across both years. The phrase “majority of working and sleeping” also misrepresents the data, since neither activity alone accounts for a majority. To strengthen the response, give a precise overview of the largest changes and compare the categories without claiming a trend where the chart provides no earlier figure.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the two years. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, the progression is sometimes difficult to follow because the 1958 paragraph includes a comparison with sports that is not supported by the chart, and the overview’s claims are not clearly organised around the main changes. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” and “Furthermore” are used, but some connections feel mechanical or do not express a clear contrast. Grouping related changes—for example, increases together and decreases together—and using clearer references to the years would make the comparisons more cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “decline,” “diminished,” “rise,” and “respectively,” and the reader can generally understand which activities you mean. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “the majority of working and sleeping,” “the third time double,” and “remain unchange.” “Layout” is also not the most suitable word for describing how time is divided. These choices sometimes make the intended comparison unclear. Aim for precise expressions such as “the proportion of time spent working,” “fell by,” and “remained unchanged.” Check word forms and spelling, and avoid using more elaborate vocabulary when a simpler, accurate phrase would communicate the data more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including comparisons with “whereas” and “while,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, some errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction reduce accuracy. Examples include “their are little difference,” “the playing sports have remain stable,” and “the working become raising slightly.” The overview sentence beginning “Overall” also has an unclear grammatical structure, making its main claim difficult to interpret. Work on consistent past-tense reporting and subject–verb agreement, and build comparisons in complete, controlled clauses—for example, “The share spent on work rose from 33% to 42%, whereas sleeping fell from 32% to 25%.” Punctuation around sentence boundaries also needs attention.

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

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