Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-28

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 given both images illustrate the main reason why people in Britain students are learning language, according to many teachers seemed that a recent increase in language learning for each reason.

According to the first chart, travel accounted for the largest proportion, at 33%, followed by business or work ,at 26%. whereas, buying property overseas was accounted of 19%. In comparison, considerably smaller proportion were reported for social media and personal development, which both similar to 7%.general interest accounted for 5%, while foreign partner was the least common reason to just 3%.

The second chart show the recent increase in people learning reasons. first major thing buying property overseas was the increase, at 34%, while business and work, which reduce for 19%. Moreover, social contact and no change were inclined at 15%. Furthermore, personal development and foreign partner both represented 4%. meanwhile 6% of general interest. travel, despite being the most common reason overall reason, it was accounted for 3%.

Overall, travel was the most common reason for learning language , whereas buying property was greatest increase. It also noticeable that the reason for current language learning with recent growth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by describing both pie charts. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While the main features are identified, the comparison between the two charts is not fully developed, and the summary in the final paragraph is vague. The student correctly identifies the largest proportions, such as travel at 33%, but the description of the second chart is confusing, particularly the phrasing 'business and work, which reduce for 19%', which makes it difficult to understand the data trend. To improve, focus on grouping data more logically and ensuring the overview highlights the most significant trends rather than just listing figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is often disjointed. While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'According to', 'In comparison', and 'Furthermore', they are sometimes used incorrectly or in a way that creates confusion. For example, the transition 'meanwhile 6% of general interest' is grammatically incomplete and lacks a clear link to the previous sentence. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the two charts. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear focus would significantly enhance the flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'the given both images illustrate' and 'buying property was greatest increase'. The student relies on basic descriptors and struggles with collocations related to data reporting, such as 'accounted of 19%' instead of 'accounted for 19%'. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary for describing trends and proportions, and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('The second chart show'), incorrect preposition usage ('reduce for 19%'), and missing articles ('the least common reason to just 3%'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences lacking proper structure. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common grammatical slips would be beneficial.

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