Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-30

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 6.0)

The two charts compare the number of French adults, measured in thousands, who were spoken to in a French regional language by their parents during childhood and the number who later used a regional language when speaking to their own children.

Overall, the charts show that the use of regional languages decreased considerably from one generation to the next. In general, far more adults had been spoken to in a regional language by their parents than those who passed a regional language on to their own children.

The first chart indicates that a substantial number of French adults had been exposed to a regional language during their childhood. However, the figures varied considerably depending on the particular regional language. Some languages were spoken to children by their parents much more frequently than others, while a few had relatively small numbers of speakers.

The second chart shows a clear decline in the transmission of these languages to the next generation. The number of adults who spoke a regional language to their own children was considerably lower in almost every category. This suggests that regional languages were becoming less commonly used within families, with French increasingly replacing them as the main language spoken between parents and children.

In conclusion, although many French adults grew up hearing a regional language from their parents, substantially fewer continued this practice with their own children, indicating a significant decline in the intergenerational transmission of regional languages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student covers the main features of both charts effectively by noting the overall trend of generational decline in the use of French regional languages. The introduction accurately paraphrases the prompt, and the overview highlights the key comparison between childhood exposure and transmission to offspring. However, the student does not mention any specific data points or language names from the charts (such as Alsatian or Occitan), keeping the description entirely general. While the prompt asks for a report describing the information, omitting specific figures or categories limits the depth of task completion, preventing the response from reaching Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is well-structured and easy to follow. It begins with a clear introduction, provides an effective overall summary paragraph, elaborates with body paragraphs discussing each chart, and concludes with a concise summary. Logical progression is maintained throughout the text using appropriate cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'The first chart indicates', 'However', and 'In conclusion'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the report.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate and appropriate for an academic task, demonstrating a satisfactory range with terms like 'intergenerational transmission', 'considerably', 'substantial', and 'exposure'. There are occasional attempts at less common phrasing, though some descriptions remain somewhat repetitive because specific data categories are omitted. Spelling and word choice are accurate throughout, and communication is never impeded, fitting the Band 6 profile comfortably.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The student exhibits good control over grammar and sentence structure. A mix of simple and complex sentences is used effectively, such as 'The two charts compare the number of French adults... and the number who later used...' and 'This suggests that regional languages were becoming less commonly used...'. Grammatical accuracy is high, with error-free sentences dominating the response and no noticeable errors in punctuation or syntax, which meets the criteria for Band 7.

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

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