Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-09

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

Overall, Occitan the most common language in the both chart. it clear that the fewer adults now speak a regional language to their children compared to the number who heard it in their childhood.

in the first chart, about 1.2 million adults said their parents spoke Occitan to them occasionally. around 600 thousand said it was spoken habitually with around 900 thousand. Breton, creole and corsioan had much lower number all below three thousand.

in second chart the numbers dropped a lot. only around 400 thousand adults now speak Occitan to their children. Alisatian is around 500 thousand. breton and creole are below 150 thousand.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the score. While you have identified the main trends and provided some data points, the report is underdeveloped. You have not fully described the data, and there are inaccuracies in your reporting of the figures (e.g., stating numbers are 'below three thousand' when the chart clearly shows values in the hundreds of thousands). To improve, ensure you carefully read the axes and labels of the charts to report data accurately and provide a more comprehensive overview of the information presented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical flow is hindered by the lack of cohesive devices. Transitions between sentences are often abrupt, and the referencing is sometimes unclear. For example, the phrase 'in the first chart' and 'in second chart' are used, but the connection between the two charts could be better highlighted through comparative language. Improving the use of linking words such as 'conversely', 'in contrast', or 'furthermore' would help the reader follow your argument more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. You rely heavily on basic phrasing, such as 'the numbers dropped a lot' and 'had much lower number'. There are also several spelling errors, such as 'corsioan' and 'Alisatian', which suggest a lack of proofreading. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'declined significantly' or 'remained consistent', and ensure that you spell technical terms correctly based on the provided charts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in second chart'), incorrect verb forms ('The charts show illustrate'), and punctuation issues. Sentence structures are generally simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. For instance, the opening sentence is poorly constructed with redundant phrasing. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensure subject-verb agreement, and practice using complex structures like relative clauses or subordinating conjunctions to add variety to your writing.

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

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