Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-12
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 pie chart illustrates the percentage of students who were able to speak other languages other than English in England, in 2000 and 2010.
It is clear from the chart that the proportion of British students who could speak other language decreased after a decade.
In 2000, the number of students who were able to speak foreign languages were 70%, with 20% of Spanish speakers followed by 15% of French students along with 15% of those who were able to speak another language. Another languages include German and two other languages who contributes 20% in the chart collectively. Furthermore, there were 30% of students who could not speak other language.
Later in 2010, the numbers took a dramatic turn with 20% another language speakers, 15% of two unknown languages along with only 20% Spanish and French speakers collectively. The percentage of British students who were not able to speak another language increased by 5%, participating in the total of 35%.
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, identifying the overall decrease in foreign language proficiency and the increase in students speaking no other language. However, the reporting of data is inconsistent and occasionally inaccurate. For instance, the description of the 2010 data is confusing, particularly the grouping of '20% Spanish and French speakers collectively,' which makes it difficult for the reader to verify the data against the visual prompt. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision in reporting specific figures and the failure to clearly distinguish between the categories in 2010 prevent a higher score. The overview is present but could be more clearly integrated.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs for each year, and a concluding trend. Cohesive devices such as 'In 2000,' 'Later in 2010,' and 'Furthermore' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the phrase 'two other languages who contributes 20%,' where the pronoun 'who' is incorrectly applied to languages. Despite these issues, the progression of ideas is generally clear and easy to follow throughout the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. There are some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'the numbers took a dramatic turn' and 'participating in the total of 35%,' which sound unnatural in this context. The student relies on basic descriptors and struggles to describe the data with precision. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the vocabulary is not sufficiently flexible or precise to reach a higher band. Improving the use of reporting verbs and more specific terminology for data trends would be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the number of students... were 70%,' 'two other languages who contributes'). There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are noticeable and occur throughout the text. To improve, the student should focus on ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that pronouns are used correctly when referring to inanimate objects like languages.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.