Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-10-31

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 demonstrates results of a survey which shows answers of teachers of foreign languages in Britain regarding the answer to question why students are learning a foreign language. The first chart illustrates the main reason for learning a foreign langauge and second chart shows percentages of teachers think that there has been a previous change in the reason.

Overall travel is on top reason for learning followed by traveling while buying property remains top reason in teachers reporting recent increase in people learning followed by business/work.

The most common reason for learning was travel at 33% followed by bussiness/work, at 26%. While 19% people learned a new language for buying property overseas. There was a same percentage of 7% for reasons of personal development and social contacts.

There was a highest increase reported in learning for buying property overseas at 34% followed by business/work, at 19%. There was a same percentage for social contacts and no change, at 15%. The least common increase was in travel, at 3%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main pattern in both charts: travel is the leading reason in the first, while buying property overseas is the most frequently reported recent increase. You also include several accurate figures, such as 33%, 26%, 19% and 34%. However, the overview says travel is followed by “traveling,” which does not distinguish the next category, and “previous change” misrepresents the chart’s recent change. Some important information is omitted: for example, the first chart’s 3% for a foreign partner and 5% for general interest, and the second chart’s 4% for a foreign partner, 6% for general interest and 4% for personal development. The report addresses the task, but coverage and comparison are uneven; make the overview precise and select a fuller range of key figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs describing the two charts. This makes the main information reasonably easy to follow. However, progression within the overview is weakened by “travel is on top reason … followed by traveling,” which repeats the same idea rather than identifying business/work as the next-largest category. Some linking is also mechanical, particularly the repeated “There was a…” sentence openings. The comparison of social contacts and no change is understandable, but the paragraph would be clearer if it grouped the largest, middle and smallest reported increases in a deliberate order. Use more varied transitions and ensure each reference clearly identifies which chart or category is being discussed.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “survey,” “main reason,” “percentage,” “followed by” and “reported increase,” so the topic is generally clear. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or repetitive: “on top reason” is not natural, “previous change” does not convey a recent change, and “same percentage” is less precise than “equal proportions.” There are also spelling errors in “langauge” and “bussiness,” and “traveling” is used where the category “business/work” should be named. These slips do not prevent the reader from understanding the broad message, but they limit precision and control. Aim for accurate category labels and a wider range of natural reporting verbs such as “accounted for,” “ranked” and “represented.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, and the figures are usually placed in understandable statements. However, some errors in agreement, articles and sentence construction remain. For example, “The pie charts demonstrates” should use a plural verb, while “travel is on top reason” needs an article and a different grammatical construction. The opening sentence is also awkwardly structured, with “regarding the answer to question why” making the relationship between the survey and its question unclear. In “While 19% people learned…,” the sentence is a fragment and the noun phrase needs a determiner or a different structure. Work on complete sentences, subject–verb agreement and article use, while retaining the range of sentence patterns you are attempting.

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