Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-11
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 illustrate the proportion British students who are able to speak other languages than English in university of England in 2000 to 2010.
Overall, it is evident that, Spanish languages remain the primary proportion of languages in both year, while the another languages and a two other languages experienced an upward trend, no another languages and French language saw a significant decline over the ten- year period, while German remained unchanged.
Looking at the two largest categories, Spanish language accounted for the highest share in 2000 at 30%, which marginally increased to 35% by 2010. Similarly, the another language and two another language rose gradually from 15% to 20% and 10% to 15% over the period. Together, these three languages spoken by students more than 70% of total languages.
In contrast, the reliance on no another languages dropped dramatically to 20% in 2000 and 15% in 2010. whereas, French saw a noticeable decline at 15% to 10%, while German remain unchanged throughout the period.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the charts and makes relevant comparisons. You have successfully identified the trends for each category and highlighted the primary language. However, the summary is slightly marred by inaccurate data interpretation; for instance, you state that 'no another languages' dropped to 20% in 2000, but the chart indicates it was 30%. Additionally, the phrase 'more than 70% of total languages' is mathematically confusing in this context. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are transcribed with absolute precision and that the overview clearly synthesizes the most significant trends rather than just listing them.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast,' 'Similarly,' and 'Overall' to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'the another languages,' which makes the referencing feel mechanical and sometimes unclear. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the internal cohesion within sentences could be improved by using more precise referencing rather than repeating clunky noun phrases. The paragraphing is appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion,' 'upward trend,' 'significant decline,' and 'marginally increased.' However, there are recurring issues with word choice and collocation, particularly with the phrase 'no another languages,' which is non-standard and repetitive. You also struggle with article usage and pluralization (e.g., 'in both year' instead of 'years'). While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, the lack of precision and the repetitive nature of some phrases limit your score. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and comparative structures would be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is a positive step. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement ('German remain unchanged') and article usage ('in university of England'). Some sentences are slightly disjointed due to punctuation errors, such as the misuse of commas before 'whereas.' While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency of the text. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, especially verb tenses and articles, will help improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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