Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-26

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 7.0)

The pie charts detail feedback from foreign language instructors in Britain regarding their students' motivations for learning a secondary language, as well as perceived recent shifts in those motivations.

Overall, leisure and professional demands are the primary drivers for language learning, with travel and career requirements commanding over half of the total market share. Furthermore, while immediate lifestyle factors like purchasing real estate or traveling dominate the primary reasons, social elements such as connecting with friends or relatives represent the most rapidly growing sector.

In terms of the primary motivations, travel stands out as the single most common reason, selected by 33% of surveyed teachers. Professional requirements also hold substantial weight, with business and work commitments accounting for 26% of the total distribution. Securing property overseas represents another prominent lifestyle motivator at 19%. By contrast, personal metrics comprise a far smaller portion of the chart; personal development and social contacts each represent a modest 7%, while general interest sits at 5%. Connecting with a foreign partner constitutes the least common reason at a mere 3%.

When examining recent increases in student motivations, the distribution patterns shift focus. An increase in social contacts is identified by teachers as the most rapidly growing reason, accounting for a significant 45% share of the reported surge. Professional and property-related drivers also continue to build momentum, with business or work and purchasing property abroad capturing 22% and 15% of the growth, respectively. Conversely, personal development and language acquisition for a foreign partner are reported as lagging trends, with both sectors marking a minimal 4% increase.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and highlighting key features from both pie charts. The main reasons for learning (travel at 33%, business at 26%, and property overseas at 19%) are accurately reported and supported with exact figures. An overview is present in the second paragraph, capturing the broader trends effectively. However, there is a factual error in the final paragraph regarding the second chart: the student states that an increase in social contacts accounts for 'a significant 45% share of the reported surge', whereas the transcription and chart data show that buying property overseas is 34%, social contacts is 15%, and business is 19% (the number 45% does not appear anywhere in the source data). Despite this data misinterpretation in the final section, the response still successfully addresses all parts of the task with good development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory statement, followed by a well-formulated overview paragraph, and then separates the two charts into distinct body paragraphs for detailed analysis. Cohesive devices are used effectively to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Furthermore', 'In terms of the primary motivations', 'By contrast', and 'When examining recent increases'. Paragraphing is used logically and appropriately to separate distinct ideas and visual data sets. Referencing is generally clear throughout the text, contributing to a smooth and coherent reading experience.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to an Academic Task 1 report. Less common and precise functional phrases are employed effectively, such as 'commanding over half of the total market share', 'lifestyle motivator', and 'lagging trends'. Word choice is generally appropriate and precise (e.g., 'instructors', 'motivations', 'distribution patterns'). There are occasional inaccuracies in terminology or data interpretation (such as 'market share' for survey responses), but overall, the lexical range allows for fluid and precise reporting without hindering communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The writer uses a wide variety of complex sentence structures with good control. Examples include participial phrases ('accounting for 26% of the total distribution') and subordinate clauses ('while immediate lifestyle factors like purchasing real estate or traveling dominate the primary reasons'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout the report. Grammatical control is strong, demonstrating flexibility and accurate formation of complex grammatical structures appropriate for Band 8.

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