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 GIVEN TWO PIE CHARTS DEPICTS THE PERCENTAGE OF BRITISH STUDENTS AT ONE PERTICULAR UNIVERSITY IN ENGLAND WHO COULD SPEAK LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH IN 2000 AND 2010.
OVERALL, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGES INCREASED OVER THE 10 YEARS. SPANISH BECAME LESS POPULAR, WHILE FRENCH AND SPEAKING TWO OTHER LANGUAGES BECOME MORE COMMON. THE GROUP WHO SPOKE NO OTHER LANGUAGES FELL BY HALF.
IN 2000, 30% OF STUDENTS SPOKE NO OTHER LANGUAGE, WHICH WAS THE LARGEST GROUP. SPANISH ONLY WAS THE MOST POPULAR FOREIGN LANGUAGE AT 20%, FOLLOWED BY FRENCH AND SPEAKING ANOTHER LANGUAGES WERE THE SAME AT 15%. GERMAN ONLY AND TWO OTHER LANGUAGES WERE THE SMALLEST GROUPS, AT 10%.
IN 2010, THE SITUATION HAD CHANGED. THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WITH NO OTHER LANGUAGE INCREASED SLIGHTLY AT 35%. SPANISH ONLY FELL TO 10%. ON THE OTHER HAND, FRENCH DROPPED TO 10%. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WAS IN TWO LANGUAGES. WHICH INCREASED TO 15%. ANOTHER LANGUAGE ALSO GREW TO 20% AND BECAME THE SECOND LARGEST CATEGORY. GERMAN ONLY REMAINED UNCHANGED AT 10%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have successfully identified the main features and provided relevant comparisons between the two years. However, there is a significant factual error in your summary: you state that the group speaking 'no other languages' increased to 35% in 2010, whereas the chart shows it decreased from 30% to 15%. Additionally, your overview contains inaccuracies, such as claiming the 'no other language' group fell by half, which contradicts your later analysis. To reach a higher band, ensure that your data extraction is precise and that your overview accurately reflects the trends shown in the charts.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs covering the data for 2000 and 2010 respectively. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'overall', 'in 2000', and 'on the other hand', to guide the reader. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by the factual inconsistencies mentioned in the task achievement section. Furthermore, some sentences are fragmented, such as 'Which increased to 15%', which disrupts the flow of the text. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring sentence completeness will enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportions', 'category', and 'significant change'. However, there are some errors in word choice and form, such as 'perticular' (spelling), 'another languages' (grammatical error), and 'become more common' (tense inconsistency). To improve, try to use a wider variety of reporting verbs and avoid repeating the same phrases. Focus on accurate collocations and ensure that your vocabulary is used precisely to describe the trends shown in the charts.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For instance, 'THE GIVEN TWO PIE CHARTS DEPICTS' contains a subject-verb agreement error, and 'Which increased to 15%' is a sentence fragment. There are also issues with tense consistency, such as 'become more common' instead of 'became'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall clarity of your report. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and avoiding sentence fragments will help you achieve a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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