Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-16

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 chats illustrate percentage of English pupils at a university in England, who can communicate in several languages despite English, in 2000 and 2010.

Overall, it can be observed that, the learners who speak German was similar in both year, and proportion of children who did not know other languages was dominating in both years.

To commence with, in 2000 the 15 percent candidates were able to converse in another languages, which was increased by 5 percent in 2010. The similar pattern was seen in the undergraduates who did not talk in other vernacular, they were 30 and 35 percent in 2000 and 2010 respectively.

Furthermore, the German speakers was consistent in both years with the proportion of 10. Moreover, the trainees who know to communicate in Spanish and French was dropped to 10 percent in 2010. In addition, academics with knowing 2 means of communication was 10 percent in 2000 and 5 percent higher in 2010.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the charts, such as the dominance of students who do not speak other languages and the trends for German and French/Spanish speakers. However, the data reporting is occasionally inaccurate or confusing. For example, you state that the proportion of students who did not know other languages was 30 and 35 percent, but the charts show 20 and 30 percent. Additionally, your description of the '15 percent' in 2000 is unclear, as the chart shows 20 percent for 'two languages'. You need to ensure that the data points are transcribed precisely from the visual information provided to achieve a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'To commence with', 'Furthermore', and 'In addition' to link your ideas. However, the flow is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as when you refer to 'the 15 percent candidates' without clearly defining which category this refers to. To improve, focus on using cohesive devices more naturally and ensuring that each sentence clearly connects to the previous one to create a smoother progression of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of imprecise word choice and incorrect terminology. For example, you use 'pupils' and 'children' to describe university students, which is inappropriate; 'undergraduates' or 'students' would be more accurate. You also use 'vernacular' incorrectly in this context. Phrases like 'academics with knowing 2 means of communication' are unnatural. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and collocations related to data description, such as 'proportion', 'fluctuated', or 'remained stable'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement and article usage. For instance, you write 'the learners who speak German was' (should be 'were') and 'German speakers was consistent' (should be 'were'). There are also issues with prepositions and word order, such as 'academics with knowing 2 means'. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often marred by these errors. To reach a higher band, you need to focus on basic grammatical accuracy, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that articles are used correctly before nouns.

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

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