Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 research is about the students, that why they are interested in learning a foreign language. All the research that has been done is backed by surveying multiple students. What are the reasons for them to learn a foreign language. Is it because of socializing or they want to travel the world and before that they should know their language. The research demonstrate a number of reasons for the student to learn a different language.

In the first pie chart of the survey, it shows the percentage of people who are learning a foreign language and the cause behind it. The majority of the respondents approximate 33% of the people are learning a different language is because of travel that's on the on top of the list, moreover on the second place comes with people believes that it will help them in work around 26% of the people, whereas 19% of the respondent gave the intel that it will help them in acquiring property overseas. Other than that few people think that learning foreign language will help in their personal development, in finding them their soul mate or their partner or some believes that it will help them in social contacts.

The second pie chart shows the percentage of students increasing in learning a foreign language and the reasons of it.

Majority of the students are learning foreign language because of buying property elsewhere other than their own country, some people are learning it for work and some are learning because of the general interest, socializing or personal development. Majority of the increase was found in business and buying property overseas if we compare both of the graphs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the task but lacks a clear overview, which is essential for Task 1. The description of the data is somewhat repetitive and lacks precision. For example, you mention 'approximate 33%' and '19%', but the analysis of the second chart is vague, failing to clearly contrast the data points or provide a meaningful summary of the trends. You have identified the main features, but the reporting is not sufficiently analytical. To improve, ensure you group data logically and provide a clear, concise summary of the most significant trends in an introductory overview paragraph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The introduction is overly wordy and does not clearly state what the charts represent. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often mechanical or misused, such as 'moreover on the second place comes with people believes'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the connection between the data and your interpretation. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear focus would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'the research is about' and 'the cause behind it'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'gave the intel' (which is informal and incorrect in this context) and 'acquiring property overseas'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise academic vocabulary to describe trends and data, such as 'a significant proportion', 'a notable increase', or 'the primary motivation'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You frequently make errors in subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'people believes') and sentence construction (e.g., 'the research demonstrate'). Punctuation is also problematic, with several run-on sentences and missing commas. While your meaning is generally clear, these frequent errors distract the reader and limit your score. Focus on mastering basic sentence structures and ensuring that your subjects and verbs agree before attempting more complex grammatical forms.

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.