Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-29

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 5.0)

The pie charts shows the percentage of time of working adults spent in 1958 and 2008. It show a very clear view of how working adults spent their time in 1958 and 2008

Overall, the pie charts show different activities being done by the working adults. The pie charts also show that with the passage of time, people focused on different activities according to the time need.

In 1958, the people had better work and life balance according to the first pie chart. They spent their time in all the activities like working, going out with friends and family, sleeping, relaxing, playing sports and travelling.

On the other hand in 2008, due to development in technology and competition, people spent almost half of their time in working. They got lesser sleep time as compared to 1958s. Due to developing distractions, some ratio of adults also liked to relax at home. Working adults also got lesser time for outing due to work burden and more travelling.

Overall, both the pie charts show the activities which working adults did in 1958 an 2008.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the charts’ subject and mention several relevant changes, including increased working time and reduced sleep and socialising. However, the response only partially summarises the data: it gives no percentages and does not clearly compare the main figures. The claim that adults in 1958 spent time playing sports is inaccurate, as sports appears only in the 2008 chart. Likewise, saying people had a “better work and life balance” is an unsupported interpretation, and the explanation about technology and competition is not shown by the charts. Develop a factual overview around the largest shifts—work rising from 33% to 42%, and going out falling from 19% to 6%—then support it with accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has paragraph breaks and a broadly recognisable sequence: an introduction, general comments, and descriptions of each year. This gives the reader some organisation. However, there is no clear progression through the key comparisons, and the final paragraph repeats the general point that the charts show activities in both years rather than adding a useful conclusion. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” signal contrast, but the comparison that follows is not precise, while “Overall” is repeated without introducing a distinct overview. Grouping the figures by increases and decreases, and using clear references to each year, would make the information easier to follow and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use a small range of relevant terms, including “working,” “sleep,” “relax,” and “travelling,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, vocabulary is repetitive and some expressions are imprecise or unnatural for describing chart data. For example, “some ratio of adults” does not clearly describe a percentage of time, and “time need” is unclear. Phrases such as “development in technology and competition,” “developing distractions,” and “work burden” introduce explanations not represented in the charts. Aim for precise data language and natural collocations, such as describing the proportion of the day spent on an activity, and use varied verbs like “rose,” “fell,” and “accounted for.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the main message is usually understandable. However, errors in agreement and sentence construction recur: “The pie charts shows” should be “The pie charts show,” and “It show” should be “They show.” The opening also repeats the same idea in two sentences. Other problems include “1958s,” the missing final digit in “an 2008,” and the awkward construction “They spent their time in all the activities.” These errors do not consistently prevent understanding, but they reduce accuracy and control. Check subject–verb agreement, articles and year references, and build sentences around clear comparisons between the two sets of figures.

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

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