Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-16

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 5.0)

The first pie chart illustrates reasons why students are studying foreign languages. The reaons are reported by the teachers. The second pie chart shows the a previously occured chnage in the reaosns acording to the teachers.

Firstly, referring to travel. Around 33 percent of students learned foreign languages to travel. Later, it slightly increased by 3 percent. It was the smallest increase among all of the reasons. Following this, students who learned foreign language for personal development or for communicating with their foreign partners experienced a similar increase of 4%. Consequently, a total of 7% of students learned language for their foreing partners and a total of 11% students learned it to personally develop themselves. An increase of 6% was seen in the students who wanted to learn foreign language for the sake of their interests.

Moving on, the highest increase experienced ina reason to learn a foeign language was buying property overseas. It immensely increased by 34%. Which took it from 19% to 53% percent of students. The second highest increase was among the students who learned foreign language to run a business or to work in foreign countries. It increased by 19% totalling up to 47% of total students.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response identifies several relevant figures, including travel at 33%, buying property overseas at 19% initially and a reported increase of 34%, and business/work at 26% initially with a 19% increase. However, it misinterprets the second chart: these percentages represent teachers reporting a recent increase, not increases to be added to the first chart’s figures. Thus, claims that property learning rose “from 19% to 53%” and business/work “totalling up to 47%” are unsupported. The overview is also missing, and the response does not clearly report the 15% who saw no change or compare the main reasons across both charts. A concise overview and accurate explanation of what each chart measures are essential to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from travel and smaller categories to property and business/work, and paragraphing separates these groups. Linking phrases such as “Firstly,” “Following this,” and “Moving on” help signal progression. However, the organisation is not fully clear because the second chart’s figures are treated as additions to the first chart, making the comparisons difficult to follow. The opening does not provide a clear overview, and the discussion omits some categories, including social contacts and no change. Some transitions are mechanical, while “Consequently” introduces totals that do not follow from the data. Grouping the two charts explicitly and using clear comparisons would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some task-relevant vocabulary, including “foreign languages,” “personal development,” “buying property overseas,” and “highest increase.” This gives it enough basic language to communicate the topic. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward, such as “a previously occured chnage,” “run a business,” and “immensely increased.” Repeated use of “students who learned foreign language” also makes the report less precise and natural. Spelling errors, including “reaons,” “acording,” and “foreing,” are noticeable and reduce the overall control of vocabulary. Aim for accurate chart-reporting phrases such as “teachers reported” and “accounted for,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is some variety in sentence forms, including the relative clause in “students who learned foreign language for personal development” and the comparison “the highest increase … was buying property overseas.” Most of the intended meaning remains understandable. However, sentence boundaries and clause construction are not consistently controlled: “Which took it from 19% to 53% percent of students” is a fragment, and “An increase of 6% was seen in the students who wanted…” is awkwardly structured. Articles and plurals are also sometimes missing, as in “learned foreign language” and “11% students.” Use complete sentences, check article use, and avoid combining a percentage with “percent” twice.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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