Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-24

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 first pie chart illustrate the percentage of seven categories teacher report on why foreign languages are been studied while the second pie chart describes the percentage of eight different reasons why there is a recent increase in the number of people learning foreign language.

Overall, it is evident that the percentage of people that was learning foreign language for travel had the largest percentage whereas people who studied for foreign partners remained the least in this category. however, teachers report show the recent change in the percentage of foreign learning is mostly due to buying property overseas while purpose for travel declined to became the lowest reasont.

Regarding the percentage of teachers reporting common reason for foreign learning, studying to travel recorded the 33 ,followed by business\ work at 28 and buying of property overseas at 3% .

Turning to report on recent increase in people, buying property overseas rose significantly to 34%, followed by business and work that declined dramatically to 19% and social contact that rose considerably to 15%. Conversely, people developed a new interest because of no change which is at 15%. Following this, general interest increased by 1% making 6% and personal development and foreign partner shared a similar percentage at 4%. however, travel dropped significantly to 3% remaining the lowest.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the charts, but there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For example, you state that 'buying property overseas' was 3% in the first chart, whereas the data shows it as 34% in the second. Furthermore, the description of the first chart is incomplete as it fails to list all categories, and the interpretation of the 'recent change' chart is confusing. To improve, ensure you carefully transcribe the data points and provide a more accurate summary of the trends. The overview is present but lacks clarity due to the factual errors regarding the figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For instance, the transition 'however, teachers report show' is grammatically awkward, and the use of 'following this' to introduce data points feels forced. The progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by the confusion between the two charts. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider range of linking words more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, logical focus that connects back to the prompt.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'significantly,' 'dramatically,' and 'considerably.' However, there are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'foreign learning' instead of 'language learning' and 'purpose for travel declined to became the lowest reasont.' Some of these errors, combined with spelling mistakes like 'reasont,' slightly impede the flow of the text. To improve, focus on learning the correct collocations for academic reporting and proofread your work to catch simple spelling errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The first pie chart illustrate'), incorrect verb forms ('are been studied'), and missing articles ('recorded the 33'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences lacking proper closure or containing unnecessary commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage.

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