Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-15

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 given bar graphs compare the number of French adults in thousands whose parents spoke a regional language to them in childhood with the number of adults who spoke a regional language to their own children.

Overall, the highest figure was recorded for occitan, whereas the corsican had the lowest figure. On the other hand, alsatian was the most preferred language than corsican.

In terms of spoken habitually, over 600 adults were communicated in occitan by their parents, while creole and corsican were spoken to only 200 adults. Regarding occassional conversation, parents conveyed their message to more than 1m adults in occitan, while this figure plummeted to less than 200 adults whose parents referred to them in creole and corsican language.

For adults speaking to their own children, alsatian accounted for nearly 400 adults, followed by occitan, at about 250 adults. While breton, creole, and corsican was spoken to lower than 100 adults.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the two chart topics and include an overview noting Occitan’s prominence and Corsican’s low figures. However, the overview is not fully accurate: Occitan is highest for parents speaking a language occasionally, but Alsatian has the highest figure for adults speaking to their own children. The comparison that Alsatian is “the most preferred language than corsican” is unclear and does not accurately summarise the charts. Several figures are also misreported: Creole and Corsican were not each spoken habitually to only 200 adults; their figures are about 105 and 85 thousand. You cover the main categories, but the report is underdeveloped and contains these inaccuracies. It is also 10 words below the required 150-word minimum, with 13 copied prompt words excluded from the count. Add accurate comparisons and a little more detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the childhood figures and language use with children. This helps the reader follow the broad categories. However, progression within the report is limited, and some comparisons are difficult to interpret. For example, “On the other hand, alsatian was the most preferred language than corsican” does not clearly connect to the preceding overview or specify which chart it describes. The repeated “while” constructions also make the data feel listed rather than systematically compared. Use clearer links between the two charts and group figures by meaningful contrasts—for instance, compare the largest and smallest childhood totals, then contrast these with the figures for speaking to children. This would make the organisation more coherent and the relationships between points clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “bar graphs,” “accounted for,” “followed by,” and “plummeted,” and the language categories are generally identifiable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing chart data. “Adults were communicated in occitan” and “parents conveyed their message” do not express that parents spoke a language to their children; “spoken to” or “addressed in” would be more suitable. “Most preferred” also suggests preference, which the charts do not measure. There are spelling errors in “occassional” and inconsistent capitalisation of language names. Aim for precise reporting verbs and standard spellings, and avoid dramatic terms such as “plummeted” when simply describing differences between categories.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple sentences and more complex structures, including clauses beginning with “while” and “whereas.” The main message is usually understandable, but errors in sentence construction and agreement recur. In “While breton, creole, and corsican was spoken to lower than 100 adults,” the plural subject requires “were,” and the sentence fragment beginning with “While” needs to be joined to a main clause. “The corsican had the lowest figure” also uses an unnecessary article, while “the number of adults … with the number of adults who spoke” creates an awkward comparison structure. Practise complete sentences, subject–verb agreement, and parallel phrasing when comparing chart series. More accurate control of these patterns would make your comparisons easier to read.

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

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