Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-12

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The charts below show the proportions of British students at one university in England who were able to speak other languages in addition to English, in 2000 and 2010

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The two pie charts given below illustrate the percentages of British students at one university in England who also know other languages including English, during the years 2000 and 2010.

Overall, in the year 2000, highest ratio of people were not known of other languages, However, most of the people knew only one language with English. In contrast, by the year 2010, proportion of English spoken people had increased.

During 2000, 30% of students only speak English but, 15% were those who knows French and another language with English. Therefore, Spanish and German were known by 20% and 10% respectively. While, only 10% of students were those who can also speak two other languages with English.

By the year 2010, proportion of speaking English was increased. This time, 20% were those students who know another language, 15% of two other languages, 10% of people were those who were aware of Spanish,similar ratio was also for French and German spoken.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the two years and report several figures accurately, including the 30% with no other language in 2000 and the 20% and 15% shares for another language and two other languages in 2010. However, the overview is unclear and includes a major misreading: “most of the people knew only one language with English” is not supported, since the largest 2000 group had no other language. The claim that the proportion of “English spoken people” increased also misrepresents the chart, which categorises additional languages, not English ability. Some comparisons are missing, such as the rise in no other language from 30% to 35% and the falls in Spanish and French. Make the overview accurate and compare the main changes directly. (Nine words copied from the task prompt were not counted.)

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for 2000 and 2010. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression is weakened by unclear or contradictory statements, especially the overview’s claim that most students knew only one language alongside the statement that the highest proportion knew no other language. Linking words such as “However,” “Therefore,” and “In contrast” are used, but some do not express the relationship between the figures accurately; “Therefore” does not logically connect the categories listed. The final paragraph also ends abruptly without a clear comparison or concluding summary. Grouping the largest categories and then describing the changes between years would make the organisation more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentages,” “proportion,” “students,” and “two other languages,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning awkward or inaccurate. “Highest ratio of people” is not a natural way to describe a pie-chart share, while “people were not known of other languages” and “proportion of English spoken people” obscure the intended categories. Repeated use of “people” and “those” also reduces precision. Choose terms that match the chart, such as “share,” “students who spoke no other language,” and “students who spoke an additional language,” and use them consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a few longer sentence forms, including “During 2000, 30% of students only speak English but…” and a sentence beginning “While,” but control is uneven and several errors make the information harder to follow. Examples include “people were not known,” “15% were those who knows,” and “proportion … was increased”; these show problems with verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction. The sentence beginning “While” is left as a fragment, and punctuation is inconsistent, as in “However” after a comma and the missing space after “Spanish,”. Most sentences rely on simple patterns, with complex attempts often faulty. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and complete clauses, for example: “The share speaking Spanish fell from 20% to 10%.”

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

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