Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-15
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 5.5)
The charts illustrates the proportion of French language which was spoken between parents and adults when they were children, Although the chart also shows the data of French language spoken by adults to their children. Units are measured in thousands.
Overall, adults who speak a regional language to their own children has a higher proportion than their parents spoke to them in their childhood. Corsican is the only language with lowest proportion than other languages.
To begin with regional language spoken occasionally by parents to adults in their childhood, Occitan language was having the largest proportion with around 1.2 million adults, whereas Corsican language has the lowest proportion with around 1lakh adults. Moreover, when parents spoke habitually to adults, Alsatian and Occitan were with almost similar data range with around 6 lakh adults.
Then it comes to adults spoke regional language to their children, Alsatian was the language with highest data accounts for around 4lakh adults however Corsican was with lowest range with around 80,000 adults. Breton and Creole were the languages which came with similar proportion with 10k adults difference.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the charts, but the analysis is somewhat inconsistent. While you identify key trends, the data interpretation is occasionally inaccurate or confusing, such as the use of '1lakh' and '6 lakh', which are not standard units in international English and may confuse the reader. Furthermore, the comparison between the two charts is not fully developed; you mention that the second chart has a 'higher proportion', but the data provided does not clearly support this across all languages. To improve, ensure you use consistent units (thousands) and provide a more precise comparison of the figures to better highlight the trends.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally awkward, such as 'Then it comes to adults spoke regional language'. The transition between the two charts could be smoother. While there is a logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs, the referencing is sometimes unclear, and the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words beyond simple transitions like 'To begin with' and 'Moreover'.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. The use of non-standard numerical terms like '1lakh' (100,000) is inappropriate for an international exam; you should stick to the units provided in the prompt (thousands). There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'data accounts for' and 'came with similar proportion'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more academic vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'a significant decline', and ensure your numerical reporting is clear and standard.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'The charts illustrates' (subject-verb agreement), 'proportion of French language which was spoken' (awkward phrasing), and 'Corsican is the only language with lowest proportion' (missing article). Additionally, there are issues with tense usage and sentence construction, such as 'Occitan language was having the largest proportion'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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