Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The pie chart illustrates how working adults spent their time on various activities from 1958 to 2008.

Overall, working and sleeping were the two most time-consuming activities in both years. However, while ratio of time spend on working increased over the period, the time spent on going out with friends and family fell dramatically.

In 1958, working accounted 33%, closely followed by sleeping at 32%. Going out with friends and family has 19% while relaxing at home and playing were lower 8% and 6% respectively. Travelling to work was the least category at just 2%.

In 2008, the pattern has changed significantly. Working had risen to 42% whereas, sleeping was declined at 32%. Relaxing at home increased to 13%. Travelling to work also jumped up to 7%. Playing sports at 7%. Finally the last category going out with friends and family also decreased to 6%. In summary, adults worked more in 2008 and less socialized in 2008.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main pattern clearly: work takes a larger share of the day in 2008, while socialising declines, and you report several relevant figures. The overview also correctly notes that work and sleep are major activities in both years. However, some details are inaccurate or incomplete: in 1958, playing sports is not shown, and the 6% figure belongs to going out with friends and family in 2008. You also say sleeping “was declined at 32%,” although it fell from 32% to 25%. The overview could compare the full set of major changes more precisely, including the rise in commuting and relaxing at home. This gives a relevant summary, but some features are less fully and accurately reported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the two years. This makes the information easy to follow, and transitions such as “In 1958” and “In 2008” help signal the comparisons. The final sentence, however, repeats the overview rather than adding a useful comparison, while “Playing sports at 7%” is an isolated fragment that interrupts the flow of the 2008 paragraph. Some linking is also mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “Finally” and “In summary.” Grouping related changes—for example, increases in work, commuting and home relaxation against decreases in sleep and socialising—would create smoother progression and more flexible cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “accounted,” “closely followed,” “time-consuming,” “increased,” and “decreased.” These choices communicate the main comparisons, and “jumped up” conveys a marked rise. Some expressions are imprecise or awkward for formal chart description, however: “ratio of time spend” is not a natural collocation, and “less socialized” is less precise than describing a reduced share of time spent socialising. “The pattern has changed significantly” is also broad when the specific changes can be named. Aim for accurate collocations and a more consistent formal register, such as “the proportion of time allocated to work” and “fell substantially.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including the contrast in “while … increased …, the time spent … fell dramatically.” Meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “working accounted 33%” needs a preposition (“accounted for 33%”), and “time spend” should use the past participle “spent.” Tense control is inconsistent in “Going out … has 19%” and “the pattern has changed,” where past forms would suit the historical data. The clause “sleeping was declined at 32%” has an incorrect passive construction and reports the wrong endpoint; use “sleeping fell from 32% to 25%.” The fragment “Playing sports at 7%” also needs a complete clause. More accurate verb forms and complete sentences would strengthen control.

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