Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-11-04

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 chart below illustrates how working adults in a particular country spent their time in 1958 and 2008. This chart explain the percentages of the day spent by working adults on various activities.

Overall, these activities contain on various six activities. The peak activity point is working in 1958, while the lowest point is travelling to work. In 2008, working is the highest percentage and the lowest point in percentage is going out with friends and family.

Looking at the details, in 1958 the sleeping and the working is the highest point that percentages are 32% and 33%, whereas the mid activity is going out with friends and family that percentage is 19%, while the second mid point is relaxing at home these percentage is 8%. The smallest activity is travelling to work that percentage is only 2%.

In addition, in 2008 the adults working on various activities. The main adults focus is doing working that percentage is 42%, these are highest point, while the second and third activity is sleeping and relaxing at home that percentages is 25% and 13%. The mid activities is travelling to work and playing sports that percentages is same that are 7%, whereas the lowest activity is going out with friends/family percentage is 6%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the two years and report several accurate figures, including working rising from 33% to 42%, sleeping falling from 32% to 25%, and travel to work increasing from 2% to 7%. You also note the highest and lowest categories in each year. However, the overview is limited and partly unclear: “these activities contain on various six activities” does not summarise the main overall changes, and the response does not clearly compare the charts as a whole. Some descriptions are also imprecise, such as calling 8% a “second mid” activity. Add a concise overview highlighting the main shifts—more time working and travelling, less sleeping and socialising—and present the comparisons more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate detail paragraphs for 1958 and 2008. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within the paragraphs is often difficult to follow because categories are described using unclear rankings such as “mid activity,” “second mid point,” and “second and third activity.” Linking words such as “whereas,” “while,” and “in addition” are used, but they do not always clarify the relationship between the figures. Grouping the main increases together and the decreases together, or comparing the same categories across both years, would create a clearer progression and reduce the list-like effect.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentages,” “highest,” “lowest,” and “activities,” and the reader can generally identify the categories being discussed. However, the range is limited and several phrases are unnatural or imprecise, notably “peak activity point,” “mid activity,” “main adults focus,” and “doing working.” Repetition of “percentage” and “activity” also makes the report less precise. Choose standard terms for describing proportions and changes, and use accurate collocations such as “accounted for,” “share,” “rose,” and “fell.” This would make the comparisons easier to understand and give the report a more appropriate academic style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine information using clauses with “while” and “whereas,” but the range of sentence structures is limited and errors occur frequently. For example, “This chart explain” has subject–verb disagreement, while “the sleeping and the working is the highest point” has problems with agreement and sentence construction. In “that percentage is 19%,” the reference to the figures is also not formed accurately. These errors sometimes make relationships between categories harder to follow. Practise building clear comparison sentences with accurate plural forms and agreement, for example: “Working and sleeping accounted for 33% and 32%, respectively.” Check each sentence for a clear subject and verb before adding linking clauses.

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

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