Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-04

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 5.0)

The bar charts provide information about the average number of adults who learned the French language since childhood and therefore now speak to their own children. The number of adults is measured in thousands.

It is evident that most of the individuals who used the Occitan language were the highest in both being spoken by habitually and occasionally. By contrast, the number of those adults who speak frequently with their own children used the Alsatin language.

There are two categories, demonstrating the usage of learning for children. One, who spoke habitually, covered the same figures for the Alsatian and Occitan languages, approximately 600k.

However, the remaining three categories, the Breton, Creole and Corsican, constituted around 400k combined.

The other category, the number of parents who spoke occasionally to their children, eventually used the Occitan language around 1million.

Finally, the last category, who used the regional language for their own children, accounted for 400k of the Alsatian language. The Occitan, Breton, Creole, and Corsican languages covered almost 450k.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response attempts to describe the charts, but it only partially addresses the task. While it touches on the different languages and categories, the information is presented in a confused and inaccurate way. For instance, the text claims that Occitan was the highest in being spoken both habitually and occasionally, but misinterprets several key data points, such as stating that Alsatian and Occitan both covered 600k in the first category when the chart shows them separately, and mischaracterising the breakdown of the other languages. The overview is also weak and fails to highlight the main trends clearly. To improve, the writer needs to carefully study the visual data to ensure figures are reported accurately and select the most significant overall trends rather than listing isolated, confused details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response shows some organisation with paragraph breaks, but there is no clear overall progression of ideas. The logical flow between sentences and paragraphs is frequently disrupted by confusing transitions and unclear referencing. For example, expressions like 'One, who spoke habitually' and 'The other category, the number of parents who spoke occasionally' make it difficult for the reader to follow which data set is being discussed. Cohesive devices are sometimes used, but they are often inadequate or mechanically applied. To reach a higher band, the writer must ensure that ideas are logically sequenced and that each paragraph has a clear focus with appropriate referencing words that guide the reader smoothly through the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, but it is limited and basic in range. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'habitually', 'occasionally', and 'categories', but there are noticeable errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'used the Alsatin language' instead of speaking it, and spelling slips like 'Alsatin'. These lexical inaccuracies occasionally cause confusion for the reader. To improve lexical resource, the writer should practice using a wider variety of precise verbs and nouns to describe statistical data, and ensure correct word forms and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple forms and repetitive patterns. Attempts at more complex sentences are often faulty, leading to grammatically confused structures such as 'the number of those adults who speak frequently with their own children used the Alsatin language.' There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles and incorrect prepositions inside grammatical patterns, which can cause difficulty for the reader. To progress, the writer should focus on constructing grammatically sound complex sentences and carefully checking basic agreements and verb forms.

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

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