Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-03

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 pie charts illustrate the percentage of British learners at one university in England who can speak several languages, along with English, between 2000 and 2010.

Overall, no other language occupied the largest proportion over the period, whereas German-speaking students accounted for the same proportion.

Regarding no other language, it increased over time from 30% to 35%. Another language and two other languages both accounted for a rise to 5%.

Turning to the other categories, Spanish and French both of the declined over the period. (From 20% to 10%, and 15% to 10% respectively ) while German only spoken people Remained unchanged over the period at 10%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. While you have identified some main features, such as the increase in 'no other language' and the decline in French and Spanish, the analysis is underdeveloped. You have not provided a comprehensive overview or sufficient detail to fully satisfy the task requirements. The summary lacks the depth needed to reach a higher band, as several data points are mentioned briefly without adequate comparison or synthesis. To improve, ensure you provide a more detailed breakdown of the data and meet the length requirement to allow for full development of your points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into short paragraphs, which helps with readability. However, the logical progression is somewhat mechanical. You use some cohesive devices like 'Regarding' and 'Turning to', but the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. The overview provided in the second paragraph is slightly confusing, as it states that 'no other language occupied the largest proportion' but then immediately discusses it in the next paragraph. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that your overview clearly summarizes the most significant trends would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'accounted for a rise' and 'remained unchanged' are functional but repetitive. There are also some awkward phrasings, such as 'German only spoken people', which is grammatically incorrect and imprecise. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'witnessed a marginal increase', or 'experienced a downward trend'. Focusing on more precise collocations will help improve your lexical range and accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'French both of the declined' is syntactically incorrect, and the parenthetical note '(From 20% to 10%, and 15% to 10% respectively )' is poorly integrated into the text. Additionally, there are issues with capitalization and word order, such as 'German only spoken people Remained'. To improve, focus on sentence construction and proofreading for basic errors in subject-verb agreement and word order. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy is essential for a higher score.

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