Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-19

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)

Obviously, French regional languages such as Alsatian, Occitan, Breton, Creole and Corsican had successfully been handed from one generation to another. More than 600 thousand grandparents habitually spoke more of Alsatian and Occitan to their children than every other regional languages. Corscian was the least spoken regional anguage with less than 200 and grandparents that spoke it both habitually and occassionally. Interestingly, Occitan was the most spoken of the languages by the first parents to their children both habitually and occasionally hitting more than one million.

This trend were not maintained in the second generation that represented a decline in the spoken of the regional languages to their children. In their Thousands, only about 400, 250, 90, 80 and 60 of them were able to spoke Alsatian, Occitan, Breton, Creole and Corsican in that descending order. The observation was the decline in the language usage which may result from possible factors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the task by describing the two charts, but the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you identify the main trends, the data presentation is inconsistent. For instance, you mention 'more than 600 thousand' for grandparents, but the chart data is provided in thousands, making your phrasing slightly confusing. Furthermore, the second paragraph lacks a clear comparison between the two generations, which is essential for a high-scoring Task 1 response. You have identified the decline, but the specific data points are presented in a list-like fashion rather than being synthesized into a coherent analytical report. To improve, ensure you compare the figures across both charts rather than describing them in isolation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into two paragraphs, which is a logical structure for this task. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally awkward. For example, the transition 'This trend were not maintained' is grammatically incorrect and disrupts the flow. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'In their Thousands', which does not effectively link back to the previous data. While there is an overall progression, the lack of sophisticated linking words makes the transition between ideas feel abrupt. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices like 'in contrast', 'conversely', or 'similarly' to connect your observations more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, but there are several instances of imprecise word choice and spelling errors that detract from the professional tone. For example, you use 'anguage' (spelling error) and 'occassionally' (spelling error). Phrases like 'spoken of the regional languages' are grammatically awkward and unnatural. While you attempt to use specific language names, the overall range is limited, and the repetition of basic verbs like 'spoke' and 'was' suggests a need for more varied synonyms. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology for describing trends, such as 'witnessed a decline' or 'remained the most prevalent'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'This trend were not maintained' (subject-verb agreement), 'able to spoke' (incorrect verb form), and 'every other regional languages' (pluralization error). You rely mostly on simple sentence structures, and your attempts at more complex sentences often contain errors, such as the awkward phrasing in the final sentence. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas in numbers. To improve, you should practice subject-verb agreement and ensure that your verb tenses are consistent when describing past data. Focusing on error-free simple sentences before moving to complex ones will help improve your accuracy.

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

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