Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-24

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 number of people from french, in thousands, whose parents spoke a regional language to them in childhood and the number who speak a french regional language to their own children.

Overall, Occitan and Alsatian were highly used language by parents to adults in their childhood compared with Corsican. While the majority of adults used Alsatian language with their own children.

In detail, the highest number of parents spoke Occitan language occasionally to adults, less than 1 million. While, Alsatian and Occitan, both languages equally used habitually to about 400 thousand numbers. 300 thousand parents spoke Breton habitually and 400 thousand parents spoke occasionally to adults. The lowest number of parents used Corsican to nearly 190 thousand parents habitually and 200 thousand occasionally.

The highest number of adults spoke Alsatian to their children to about 400 thousand numbers. This was followed by Occitan spoke to about 350 thousands adults with their children. Adults spoke Breton to about 100 thousands, Creole 90 thousands, and Corsican 60 thousands.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts, but the presentation of data is inconsistent and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the claim that 'the highest number of parents spoke Occitan language occasionally... less than 1 million' is vague and does not accurately reflect the specific data points provided in the chart. Furthermore, the report fails to clearly distinguish between the two distinct categories (habitual vs. occasional) in the first chart, leading to confusion. While the overview identifies some trends, the lack of precise data reporting and the failure to compare the two charts effectively limits the score. To improve, ensure all figures are clearly linked to their specific categories and avoid vague quantifiers.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally misused. For instance, the transition 'In detail' is used to start a paragraph, but the subsequent sentences lack smooth flow, appearing as a list of data points rather than a cohesive analysis. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when discussing the shift from the first chart to the second. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that sentences are connected by logical relationships rather than just listing figures would significantly enhance the flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as '400 thousand numbers' and 'spoke to about 350 thousands adults'. The repetition of basic verbs like 'spoke' and 'used' makes the writing feel somewhat monotonous. Additionally, there are minor errors in word choice and capitalization, such as 'french' (should be 'French'). To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise reporting verbs and nouns related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'accounted for', or 'a significant proportion'.

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. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The charts illustrates') and incorrect preposition usage (e.g., 'spoke... to adults' instead of 'spoke... to their children'). The sentence structure is often repetitive, relying heavily on simple declarative statements. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring correct article usage would be beneficial.

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

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