Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-27

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 Chart illustrate the information of the responses by teachers of foreign languages in Britain about why students are learning a foreign language.

Overall, In the first pie chart the percentage of teachers reporting are dependent on the following reasons for learning,

Here we see the maximum students learn the language for the purpose of travel by 33% and after that the huge portion of the chart indicate toward to those who learn language for business/work purposes. In mid tier portion we 19% of students buying property oversees so that's why for further communication they learn language. Depending upon the remaining fields like personal developments, social contacts , foreign partner and general interest they remain low to 7%, 7%, 3% and 5% respectively.

Where we the comparison of the other pie diagram we see a huge buying intent of students towards buying property overseas about 34% and second large contribution on business/work 19% after that social contacts and no change appear to be a 15% section and the remaining low sections are divided into general interest, personal development, foreign partner and travel 6%, 4%, 4% and 3% respectively each.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of both charts, but the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you identify the key data points, the comparison between the two charts is underdeveloped. You mention the figures, but you do not clearly explain the 'change' aspect mentioned in the prompt, which is crucial for a high score. The description of the second chart is slightly confusing, as it lists categories without clearly contrasting them against the first chart's data. To improve, ensure you group information logically and highlight the most significant trends or shifts rather than just listing percentages.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is often mechanical and sometimes unclear. For example, the transition 'Where we the comparison of the other pie diagram' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the logical progression. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often repetitive or incorrectly placed, such as the use of 'after that' and 'remaining low sections'. The paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks a smooth, cohesive narrative. Improving the use of linking words like 'conversely', 'in contrast', or 'furthermore' would help the reader follow your argument more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'huge portion', 'mid tier portion', and 'low sections'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'buying intent of students towards buying property' and 'indicate toward to'. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more sophisticated vocabulary related to data description, such as 'a significant proportion', 'the primary motivation', or 'a notable shift'. The repetition of simple descriptors limits the range of your lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'The Pie Chart illustrate' (subject-verb agreement), 'the percentage of teachers reporting are dependent on' (incorrect structure), and 'Where we the comparison' (missing verb). You rely mostly on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences often contain errors. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. To improve, focus on basic subject-verb agreement and ensure that every sentence has a clear, functioning verb. Increasing the variety of sentence structures while maintaining accuracy is essential for a higher score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.