IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 – Sample Test 25 (Pie Chart)

Task Question

The pie chart below shows the daily time spent on smartphones in the United States, divided into five categories ranging from less than one hour to more than six hours.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Test 25 – Daily time spent on smartphones in the United States

Figure: Daily time spent on smartphones in the United States

Sample Answer (Band 8.0–8.5)

The pie chart illustrates how much time people in the United States spend using their smartphones each day. Overall, nearly half of the users spend between five and six hours daily on their phones, while a small minority use them for less than one hour.

The largest portion, 48%, corresponds to individuals who spend five to six hours per day on their smartphones. This is followed by those using them for three to four hours, accounting for 22%. Roughly 18% of respondents reported using their phones for more than six hours a day, indicating a notable proportion of heavy users.

In contrast, shorter usage times were less common. Only 7% of people used their smartphones for one to two hours, and merely 5% for under one hour daily. This reveals that over 80% of Americans spend at least three hours each day on their smartphones.

To sum up, the chart demonstrates a clear dominance of prolonged smartphone use, suggesting that mobile devices play an increasingly central role in Americans’ daily routines and leisure activities.

Analytical Review – IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 (Test 25, Pie Chart)

Overall Verdict

Indicative Band: 8.0–8.5

  • Task Achievement: All key categories are covered with precise data (percentages) and well-balanced comparisons.
  • Coherence & Cohesion: Logical progression — majority groups first, followed by minor ones, ending with a global conclusion.
  • Lexical Resource: Excellent range of vocabulary such as “dominance,” “minority,” “heavy users,” and “central role.”
  • Grammar: Complex sentences with adverbial clauses (“while,” “although,” “whereas”) used accurately.

Key Weaknesses

  • Depth of Analysis: Could briefly comment on social implications of high usage (e.g., productivity or health impact).
  • Range of Structures: More inversion or conditional forms would show advanced control (“Had fewer users spent...”).
  • Lexical Variety: Repetition of “spend” — could be replaced with “devote,” “allocate,” or “engage in.”
  • Transitions: Overuse of “In contrast” — alternate with “Conversely,” “However,” or “By comparison.”

Actionable Improvements (High-Impact)

  1. Add interpretive insight: Mention what the high percentage of heavy users suggests about lifestyle trends.
  2. Expand range of linking devices: Replace repetitive connectors with higher-level transitions.
  3. Diversify verbs: Swap “spend” with “dedicate,” “commit,” or “utilize.”
  4. Show contrast quantitatively: e.g., “Nearly ten times as many users spend over five hours as those below one hour.”
  5. Conclude analytically: End with a societal observation rather than a restatement (“indicating digital dependency”).

Stronger Synonyms (Topic-Fit)

  • spend time → devote time allocate hours engage with devices
  • majority → dominant group largest segment
  • minority → small fraction lower proportion
  • high usage → intensive engagement prolonged screen time
  • low usage → minimal exposure limited use

Linking Devices (Cohesion)

  • Contrast: whereas, by contrast, conversely, however
  • Addition: moreover, in addition, likewise, also
  • Result: consequently, therefore, as a result
  • Time: initially, subsequently, overall
  • Emphasis: notably, strikingly, significantly
  • Quantification: nearly half, a small fraction, one in five

High-Value Collocations (Smartphone Context)

  • prolonged screen exposure
  • digital consumption pattern
  • mobile device dependency
  • intensive smartphone engagement
  • user behaviour segmentation
  • daily screen-time distribution
  • habitual device interaction

Rewrite Upgrades (Band-9 Polish)

  • Original: “Nearly half of the users spend five to six hours daily on their phones.”
    Upgrade: “Almost half of smartphone users devote five to six hours each day to screen-based activities.”
  • Original: “Only a small minority use their phones for less than one hour.”
    Upgrade: “A mere five percent of respondents engage minimally with their devices, limiting use to under an hour.”
  • Original: “Over 80% spend at least three hours daily.”
    Upgrade: “An overwhelming majority — more than four in five users — record daily usage exceeding three hours.”

Model Sentences (Precise Description)

  • “The largest segment of users dedicate between five and six hours to smartphone use each day.”
  • “Only a small proportion of Americans limit daily screen exposure to less than one hour.”
  • “Heavy users — those exceeding six hours — represent a significant 18% of total participants.”

Grammar Targets

  • Comparatives: “twice as many,” “ten times higher.”
  • Adverbials: “noticeably larger,” “relatively small,” “marginally higher.”
  • Passives: “data were collected,” “the survey was conducted.”
  • Nominalisation: “A dominance of long-duration users was observed.”

Quick Checklist (Before Submit)

  • Overview highlights the dominance of 5–6 hour users.
  • Comparisons quantified with accurate percentages.
  • Lexical range broad, avoiding repetition of “spend.”
  • Sentence structures varied with clear cohesion.
  • Conclusion analytical — not just a summary.

Band Justification & How to Reach 9.0

This response demonstrates excellent task fulfillment, cohesion, and lexical precision consistent with Band 8–8.5. To achieve Band 9, the candidate should show a more sophisticated command of grammar through inversion or reduced clauses, include subtle analytical observations (e.g., social implications of screen time), and ensure every comparison is supported by exact data. A Band 9 essay would combine accuracy, insight, and linguistic elegance without redundancy.

تحلیل دوزبانه – IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 (Test 25, Pie Chart)

ارزیابی کلی

نمره تقریبی: 8.0 تا 8.5

  • پوشش دقیق تمام دسته‌ها با ذکر درصدها و مقایسه‌های منطقی
  • انسجام مناسب: شروع با بیشترین گروه‌ها، سپس گروه‌های کوچک‌تر و در پایان نتیجه‌گیری کلی
  • واژگان آکادمیک قوی مانند «dominance»، «minority» و «central role»
  • استفاده درست از جملات پیچیده با حروف ربط طبیعی مانند while و although

Overall Verdict

Indicative Band: 8.0–8.5

  • Task Achievement: All categories are covered with precise data and clear comparisons.
  • Coherence & Cohesion: Logical sequencing — majority groups first, minor ones later, ending with an analytical conclusion.
  • Lexical Resource: Advanced vocabulary such as “dominance,” “minority,” and “central role.”
  • Grammar: Accurate complex sentences using connectors like “while” and “although.”

نقاط ضعف

  • نبود تحلیل درباره تأثیرات اجتماعی استفاده زیاد از موبایل
  • تکرار بیش از حد فعل spend بدون تنوع واژگانی
  • استفاده محدود از حروف ربط پیشرفته مانند Conversely یا By comparison

Key Weaknesses

  • Analytical Depth: Lacks commentary on social implications of smartphone use.
  • Lexical Range: Repetition of “spend” — could use “devote” or “allocate.”
  • Transitions: Overuse of “In contrast”; replace with “Conversely,” “However.”

پیشنهادهای بهبود

  1. افزودن تحلیل رفتاری درباره سبک زندگی کاربران سنگین
  2. تنوع در استفاده از حروف ربط و افعال جایگزین
  3. استفاده از مقایسه عددی مانند «ده برابر بیشتر از...»
  4. جمع‌بندی تحلیلی در انتهای متن به‌جای تکرار داده‌ها

Actionable Improvements

  1. Add interpretive insights about lifestyle trends.
  2. Diversify linking devices and verb choices.
  3. Show contrasts quantitatively (“ten times more users…”).
  4. Conclude with an analytical observation instead of repetition.

مترادف‌های قوی

  • spend → devote, allocate, commit
  • majority → dominant group
  • minority → small fraction
  • high usage → intensive engagement
  • low usage → minimal exposure

Stronger Synonyms

  • spend → devote, allocate, commit
  • majority → dominant group
  • minority → small fraction
  • high usage → intensive engagement
  • low usage → minimal exposure

حروف ربط و انسجام

  • تضاد: whereas, conversely, however
  • افزودن: moreover, likewise, in addition
  • نتیجه: therefore, consequently
  • تأکید: notably, strikingly, significantly

Linking Devices

  • Contrast: whereas, conversely, however
  • Addition: moreover, likewise, in addition
  • Result: therefore, consequently
  • Emphasis: notably, strikingly, significantly
  • Quant cues: nearly half, a small fraction, one in five

کالوکیشن‌های کلیدی

  • وابستگی دیجیتال → digital dependency
  • الگوی مصرف موبایل → smartphone usage pattern
  • تعامل کاربر → user engagement
  • توزیع زمانی استفاده → daily screen-time distribution

High-Value Collocations

  • digital dependency
  • smartphone usage pattern
  • user engagement
  • daily screen-time distribution

توجیه نمره و مسیر تا Band 9

این پاسخ از نظر انسجام، دقت عددی و واژگان قوی در سطح Band 8 تا 8.5 است. برای رسیدن به Band 9، نویسنده باید از ساختارهای گرامری پیچیده‌تر استفاده کند، تحلیل‌های رفتاری درباره اثرات اجتماعی استفاده زیاد از موبایل را بیافزاید و در تمام مقایسه‌ها از داده‌های دقیق‌تر استفاده کند.

Band Justification & Path to Band 9

This essay demonstrates high task fulfillment, coherence, and lexical precision at Band 8–8.5. To achieve Band 9, the writer should incorporate advanced grammatical range, provide behavioral insights into heavy smartphone use, and maintain precise numerical comparisons throughout.