Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-18

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The pie charts below show responses by teachers of foreign languages in Britain to a survey concerning why their students are learning a foreign language. The first chart shows the main reason for learning a foreign language. The second chart shows how many teachers felt that there has been a recent change in the reason.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

% of teachers reporting the following as most common reason for learning:

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The pie charts compare responses by tutors of foreign languages in Britain to observe some reasons why their students are learning an other language.

In the first graph, the highest figure was recorded for travel, at 33%, followed by 26% of students learnt foreign lanugages for business ot employment. 19% of pupils accounted for buting property overseas. By contrast, personal development and social contacts made up equal figures of students, at 7%. Only 3% of students learnt a new language for foreign partner.

In the second graph, the proportion of students dropped from 33% to 3%, in travel, while in terms of buying property overseas, the percentages of pupils reached at 34%. Moreover, 15% of students learnt foreign languages for social contacts as well as no change. The figure of personal development declined from 7% to 4%, whereas foreign partner rose by one percentage point.

Overall, the highest figure was recorded for travel, before falling to its lowest point, while the peoportion of students considerably increased, in terms of buying property overseas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the two pie charts and provided a clear overview. However, the report lacks precision in describing the data. For instance, you mention 'no change' in the second paragraph without clarifying what that refers to, and the comparison between the two charts is somewhat confusing. The second chart represents 'change in the reason', but your description implies a direct chronological shift from the first chart to the second, which is a misinterpretation of the data. To improve, ensure you clearly distinguish between the 'main reason' and the 'perceived change' as separate datasets rather than a timeline.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The report is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs for each chart, and a summary. You use some cohesive devices like 'In the first graph', 'By contrast', and 'Overall' to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some referencing is unclear, such as the phrase 'as well as no change' in the second paragraph, which does not clearly link to the data provided. Improving the use of transition words and ensuring that every reference clearly points to a specific data point will help improve the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the main points, using terms like 'proportion', 'recorded', and 'declined'. However, there are several spelling errors ('lanugages', 'ot', 'buting', 'peoportion') and some awkward collocations, such as 'foreign partner' (which should likely be 'having a foreign partner'). To reach a higher band, you should focus on accuracy in spelling and use more precise academic vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'accounted for', 'constituted', or 'represented' instead of repeating 'made up' or 'recorded'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. Examples include 'learnt foreign lanugages for business ot employment' (missing article), 'reached at 34%' (incorrect preposition), and 'the proportion of students dropped... in travel' (awkward phrasing). Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensure that your sentence structures are varied but grammatically sound.

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

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