Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-07

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 chart illustrates the data provided by teacherd of foreign langauages in Britain discussing why their students are keen to learn foreign language.

Overall, the most common reason to learn new language was due to travel, while least common was marrying with a foreign partner. Recently the trend changed due to different circumstances and now people are learning the new language particulary for buying property overseas.

By looking, the most common reason, people choosed this option only 3% to marry a foreigner, in contrast, 33% people were interested because they wanted to travel a new country. This trend has been followed by business/work reaching 26%. Thirdly, people was interested to move abroad and wanted to do business as well as buying property and this number is also crucial with 19%. People who are taking interest to make new friends and for personal growth, they are 7% while, general interest reached only 5%.

The chart has been updated recently, the number of percentage slihghtly changed for all reasons. For marriage, this number goes upward with 1% but due to technological update, people are now less interested to learn new language for travelling only. The percentage for work decreased to 19% in contrast, buying property overseas trend goes upward recently. People interested to make foreign friends, this trend also goes upward at 15%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main pattern in the first chart: travel is the leading reason at 33%, while buying property overseas is prominent in the second chart at 34%. You also include several relevant figures, such as 26% for work and 19% for property in the first chart. However, the report only partly covers the second chart: it omits the 15% reporting no change and misstates the travel figure, which fell to 3%, as a change caused by technology. The claim that the least common reason was marrying a foreign partner is also inaccurate: general interest is 5%, compared with 3% for a foreign partner, so the latter is indeed lowest, but the chart says learning for a foreign partner, not marriage. Describe the second chart more fully and avoid unsupported explanations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the two charts. This helps the reader follow the broad comparison. However, progression within the paragraphs is uneven: the first data paragraph moves from marriage to travel, work, property, and then several smaller categories, while the second gives only a few changes and leaves out the no-change category. Some linking is mechanical or unclear, as in “By looking” and “in contrast,” and the repeated use of “trend” does not always show precisely which chart or category is being discussed. Use clearer topic sentences and organise each chart’s figures in a deliberate order, with explicit comparisons between the original reasons and reported increases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “most common reason,” “business/work,” “buying property overseas,” and “personal growth.” These choices make the topic generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “marrying with a foreign partner,” “travel a new country,” and “the chart has been updated recently.” Spelling errors such as “teacherd,” “langauages,” and “slihghtly” also reduce control. Aim for precise chart-reporting language and avoid adding interpretations that the data does not support. For example, use “teachers reported an increase” rather than saying the chart was updated, and use “learning for travel” rather than “travel a new country.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and longer sentence forms, and the overall meaning can usually be understood. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction. Examples include “people choosed this option,” “people was interested,” and “this number goes upward with 1%.” The sentence beginning “People who are taking interest…” is also awkwardly constructed and lacks a clear main clause. Tense use shifts between past and present without a clear reason, particularly when describing the charts. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build longer sentences around a clear subject and verb; for example, “Teachers reported that the share citing travel was 33%.”

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