Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-21

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 two pie chart illustrate the responses of teachers in a survey providing reasons for students learning a foreign language and the reason for increasing interest in learning another language in Britain.

Overall, buying property overseas, business/ work reason dominate the percentage in both pie graphs. General interest had no change in the percentage in graphs.

Travel at 33% dominates the pie graph with common reason for learning whereas it is at 3% in the reason for growing interest. Social contacts was at 7% in first pie graph but it depicts 8% increase in the percentage in recent increase graph. General interest is the only category with the same 5% in each survey.

Buying property overseas and business/work reason dominate the percentage in both graph. Foreign partner, personal development had slight changes in the proportion in comparison to the other graph. A new reason of no change at 15% was the response of the survey in increasing interest graph.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the task but fails to accurately interpret the data. The student misidentifies the categories and trends, particularly in the second paragraph where it is claimed that 'General interest had no change', despite the data showing significant variations. The description of the charts is confusing, and the comparison between the two charts is poorly executed. The report lacks a clear overview of the main trends, and the data points cited are often inaccurate or unclear. To improve, you must ensure that you carefully read the labels and values on the charts before writing, and provide a clear, accurate summary of the most significant information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The transition between ideas is often abrupt, and the use of cohesive devices is mechanical or inaccurate, such as the phrase 'in recent increase graph'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the two charts. While there is an attempt at paragraphing, the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks coherence, as the sentences do not flow logically from one to the next. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear focus would significantly enhance the readability of your report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'dominate the percentage' are used multiple times, and there is a lack of variety in describing trends or proportions. Some word choices are imprecise, such as 'reason for growing interest' instead of referring to the second chart's specific title. There are also issues with collocation, such as 'depicts 8% increase in the percentage'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary to describe data, such as 'account for', 'constitute', 'a significant proportion', or 'a marginal shift', and ensure that your terminology is precise and appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains several grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are frequent issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'The two pie chart illustrate' (should be 'charts illustrate') and 'business/ work reason dominate' (should be 'reasons dominate'). Additionally, there are errors in article usage and sentence structure, such as 'in recent increase graph'. While the student attempts some complex sentences, they are often marred by grammatical inaccuracies. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that subjects and verbs agree, and pay closer attention to the correct use of articles and prepositions in your descriptions of data.

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

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