Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-25

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 6.0)

In Britain, teachers shared a survey report through pie charts showing their responses regarding why students learn foreign languages.

Overall, the two pie charts describe the findings. On the one hand, we have the main reasons for students learning foreign languages. On the other hand, we have the reasoning behind recent changes that the teachers noticed.

In the first pie chart, the largest reason for learning foreign languages is travel, which is 33%, whereas the second largest percentage is 26% for business or work concerns. Furthermore, the other common reasons for learning foreign languages are buying overseas property, social contacts, personal development, general interest, and foreign partners, with percentages of 19%, 7%, 7%, 5%, and 3% respectively.

However, the second pie chart reports the university teachers' views on the latest reasons for learning foreign languages. The single largest intention is buying property overseas, which is exactly 34%. The second largest cause is 19% for business/work.The remaining figures are 15% each for "no change" and social contacts, 6% for general interest, 4% each for personal development and foreign partners, and the last one is 3% for travel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student addresses all parts of the task by reporting on both charts, successfully identifying the main categories and their respective percentages, such as travel at 33% for the most common reason and buying property overseas at 34% for the recent increase. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, though it is slightly rudimentary ('Overall, the two pie charts describe the findings'). While the data is accurately reported and matches the source material well without notable fabrications, the development of trends and comparisons remains somewhat descriptive and lists data points rather than synthesising them. This places the response comfortably at Band 6.5, leaning towards Band 7 due to accurate coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response exhibits a clear logical organisation with a four-paragraph structure comprising an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs dedicated to each chart. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the data, such as 'On the one hand', 'In the first pie chart', 'However', and 'The remaining figures'. However, referencing and paragraphing can sometimes feel a bit mechanical. The overview is rather weak, functioning more as a statement of intent than a true summary of main trends. Nevertheless, information and ideas are logically sequenced throughout, warranting a solid Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range appropriate for Task 1, using terms such as 'percentage', 'concerns', 'intention', and 'proportion implicitly'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'respectively' and 'proportion' (though the latter is absent, phrases like 'second largest percentage' are used). Some minor inaccuracies appear, such as referring to 'foreign partners' instead of 'foreign partner' or 'reasoning behind recent changes' when the chart indicates an increase. Spelling and word choice errors do not impede communication, allowing the response to achieve a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses ('which is 33%', 'that the teachers noticed') and comparative structures ('whereas the second largest percentage is...'). There are frequent error-free sentences, and control of punctuation is generally sound. Minor errors do occur, such as a missing space in 'work.The remaining', but these do not impede communication. The variety of structures and reliable grammar control meet the criteria for a Band 6.5.

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