Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-01

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)

This chart depicts responses by teachers of foreign languages in Britain. This diagram describes why students are learning a foreign language.

The most common reason for learning a foreign language is for travel. People think that by learning foreign language, we do not face any kind of conservational problem. While 26% people study for business and 19% for buying property in overseas. Therefore, 7% people study for personal development and for social contact.5% and 3% people learn for general interest and to find a foreign partner.

In addition, recent reporting demonstrates that most people study foreign language to build a business by buying property in overseas that is almost 34%. From 15% to 20% people study because they want to a good social contact, have a great business or work and some learn for no change. While 4% people for personal development and for foreign partner. Just 3% people learn language for travel. By comparing the value of travel and business or work declined and the value of buying overseas property increases.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the task but fails to provide a clear overview or effectively synthesize the data. While you identify some figures, the description of the second chart is confusing and inaccurate in its interpretation of the data categories. You mention 'no change' as a category, which is not clearly supported by the prompt's context. Furthermore, the report lacks a cohesive summary of the main trends. To improve, ensure you clearly distinguish between the two charts and provide a concise overview of the most significant findings without including personal opinions or interpretations like 'people think that by learning foreign language, we do not face any kind of conservational problem'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is weak. The transition between the two charts is abrupt, and the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the use of 'Therefore' is illogical in the context of listing percentages. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the two sets of data. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', 'Conversely') and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that guides the reader through the data analysis.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is somewhat repetitive and limited. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'people study' and 'learn for'. There are also issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'conservational problem' (likely meaning 'conversational') and 'buying property in overseas' (should be 'buying property overseas'). The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey basic meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and synonyms for 'study' or 'learn', such as 'pursue language acquisition' or 'enrolled in courses'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include '19% for buying property in overseas' (missing article), '5% and 3% people learn' (awkward phrasing), and 'want to a good social contact' (missing verb). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of percentages and sentence structure. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevents the text from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage.

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

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