Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-29

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 7.5)

The two pie charts illustrate the main reasons why people in Britain learn a foreign language, according to foreign-language teachers. The first chart shows the most common reasons, while the second indicates the reasons for which teachers reported a recent increase in the number of learners.

Overall, travel was the most common reason for learning a foreign language, accounting for 33% of responses. However, the largest recent increase was reported among people learning a language for buying property overseas, at 34%. In contrast, travel showed only a small increase, at 3%.

According to the first chart, business/work was the second most common reason, at 26%, followed by buying property overseas, at 19%. Much smaller proportions of teachers identified social contacts and personal development, both at 7%, while general interest accounted for 5%. The least common reason was having a foreign partner, at just 3%.

The second chart shows considerable changes in some reasons. Buying property overseas had the highest reported increase, at 34%, followed by business/work at 19% and social contacts at 15%. Meanwhile, 15% of teachers reported no change. The figures for general interest, personal development and having a foreign partner were relatively low, at 6%, 4% and 4%, respectively. Interestingly, although travel was the most common reason overall, only 3% of teachers reported a recent increase in learners studying a language for this purpose.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The student has successfully addressed all parts of the task by providing a clear and comprehensive report on the two pie charts. The introduction paraphrases the prompt effectively, and a clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting key trends such as the most common reason overall (travel at 33%) and the highest recent increase (buying property overseas at 34%). The body paragraphs select and accurately report relevant data from both charts without unnecessary repetition. Proportions and percentages are cited accurately from the visual data, showing a strong grasp of the information presented. The response meets all requirements for Task Achievement at a high standard, demonstrating well-developed ideas and a clear, logical selection of key features.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The report exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is appropriately divided into a logical paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detailed body paragraphs examining each chart in turn. Cohesive devices are used effectively and naturally, such as 'Overall', 'However', 'In contrast', and 'Meanwhile', which guide the reader smoothly through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring that each paragraph has a distinct focus. Referencing is clear, and the overall arrangement of ideas maintains a high level of coherence from start to finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient and appropriate range of vocabulary for an Academic Task 1 report. Phrases such as 'accounting for', 'the largest recent increase', 'Much smaller proportions', and 'respectively' are deployed accurately to describe statistical data. There is good control over less common vocabulary items related to data reporting. Word choice and collocations are generally natural, though slightly more sophisticated synonyms or varied reporting verbs could enhance the response further. Spelling and word formation are entirely accurate throughout, ensuring that communication is never hindered.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The response features a wide range of grammatical structures, successfully blending simple and complex sentences. The student uses participial phrases ('according to foreign-language teachers', 'accounting for 33% of responses') and comparative structures with a high degree of accuracy. The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is managed well throughout. Grammatical control is consistently strong, and any minor limitations do not impede communication. The control over complex clauses and prepositional phrases aligns well with the descriptors for Band 8.

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