Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The charts below show the number of French adults whose parents spoke a French regional language to them when they were children and the number who speak a French regional language to their own children.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

Number of adults (in thousands) whose parents spoke a regional language to them in childhood

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The first bar chart displays the number of french adults whose parents spoke a french regional language to them habitually and occasionally when they were children.The second bar chart illustrates the number of adults who spoke french regional language to their own children.

Overall, the number of adults whose parents spoke Occitan to tem kiwas the higest wheras, Alsatian was spoken by the least number of adults to their own children.The lowest number accounted for corsican language for the both categories.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the two charts and attempts an overview, noting that Occitan is prominent among languages spoken by parents and that Corsican is low. However, the overview misreports key comparisons: Alsatian is not the least spoken to adults’ own children; Corsican is lowest, while Alsatian is highest at about 400,000. Occitan is highest only for occasional parental speech, not across both parental-speaking categories. The report also gives no supporting figures or meaningful comparisons between the charts, so it addresses the task only minimally. It contains 67 words, well below the required 150; 14 words copied from the prompt were excluded from that count. To improve, include an accurate overview and select several figures to compare the categories.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic two-part structure: the opening identifies the charts, followed by a paragraph beginning “Overall.” This gives the response some organisation, and “The second bar chart” helps distinguish the visuals. However, the report ends before developing a logical sequence of comparisons, and the overview combines claims in a confusing way, particularly the statement that Alsatian is least spoken to children followed by the claim that Corsican is lowest in both categories. The linking word “whereas” does not clearly connect the comparisons. Develop separate, logically ordered details for parental speech and speech to children, using clear links such as “By contrast” and “Meanwhile.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses some relevant chart vocabulary, including “bar chart,” “displays,” “illustrates,” “habitually,” and “occasionally,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several language choices or spelling errors reduce precision: “french” should be capitalised as “French,” “higest” is misspelled, and “tem kiwas” appears to be an accidental or corrupted phrase. The wording “spoken by the least number of adults to their own children” is also awkward and makes the comparison harder to follow. Use accurate terms for quantities and comparisons, such as “the largest number,” “the fewest adults,” and “passed on to their children,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a compound sentence in the overview, using “whereas,” and the opening sentences are broadly understandable. However, the range is narrow, with little development beyond simple statements, and errors in sentence construction and punctuation affect clarity. In “Overall, the number … was the higest wheras, Alsatian was spoken…,” the comma after “whereas” is misplaced, and the clause structure does not clearly express the intended comparison. There is also no space after the full stop in “children.The.” Aim for complete, clearly separated sentences and use comparison structures accurately—for example, “Occitan was spoken occasionally to the largest group, whereas Corsican had the lowest figure.”

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

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