Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-08

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 pie charts illustrate the responses of tutors of foreign languages in England to a survey which shows the concern about their pupils learning a new language.

Overall, the major reasons for learning a new language are travel and buying properties overseas. The recent increase in people learning a foreign language is due to business or work and investing in properties in foreign countries.

Travelling is the significant reason for the number of people learning new languages and constituted for 19 percent. People who want to buy a property in another country accounted for a little less than a quarter. Moreover, people who are trying to make social contacts and personal development account for minute proportions.

Similarly, the main reason for the increase in the number of people learning a new language was due to buying property overseas. People who want to do business or work in another country accounted for 19 percent, followed by people who are trying to make social contacts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The report identifies some relevant patterns, including travel as a leading reason and overseas property as prominent in the reported increase. However, several key figures are inaccurate: travel is 33%, not 19%, and buying property overseas is 19% in the first chart, rather than “a little less than a quarter.” The overview also says travel and property are the major reasons overall, but does not clearly distinguish the most common reason from the reasons showing recent increases. The second chart’s largest category is buying property overseas at 34%, while travel is only 3%; this contrast deserves clearer emphasis. Some categories, such as general interest and foreign partners, are omitted, and the social-contact comparison is left without figures. More accurate selection and fuller comparison would make the report more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable report structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs presenting details. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression between the charts is not always clear. The overview combines the leading reasons in the first chart with the increase categories in the second, and the final paragraph begins “Similarly” even though it introduces a different measure. The detail paragraphs also do not consistently compare the two charts or group figures in a clear order. Use explicit chart-based topic sentences, then organise each paragraph around the relevant ranking or contrast. More precise linking and reference would help the reader follow which percentages belong to which chart.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for describing survey results, including “accounted for,” “constituted,” “proportions,” and “increase.” The writer also attempts some variation rather than repeating “reason” throughout. However, several choices are imprecise or awkward for this data-reporting task: “the concern about their pupils learning” does not accurately describe the survey, “Travelling is the significant reason” is unnatural, and “minute proportions” overstates the small categories. “Buying properties” also shifts the chart’s category from buying property overseas. Aim for standard, precise chart language and avoid adding interpretations such as “concern.” Alternatives such as “the main reason,” “represented,” and “a small share” would make the descriptions more natural and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, and most meanings remain understandable. For example, “People who want to buy a property in another country accounted for a little less than a quarter” uses a relative clause effectively. Some grammatical errors and inconsistencies remain. In “Travelling is the significant reason … and constituted for 19 percent,” the present-tense subject is paired with a past-tense verb, and “constituted for” is not a correct grammatical pattern. The overview’s “The recent increase … is due to” also presents the chart information as a current cause rather than a reported survey finding. Keep tense consistent when describing chart data, and check verb patterns and sentence agreement. These issues do not generally prevent understanding, but they reduce control.

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