Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-17

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 fraction of languages spoken by British students in England in during years 2000 and 2010. Overall, Spanish was used widely by students in 2000 while another unknown language was spoken considerably by learners in 2010.

In 2000, French and another language were mostly used by students after Spanish and they both have 15% fraction. French and two other languages have least proportions of 10% and marginally spoken by pupils.

While another language has substantially conversed by learners in 2010 and the fraction was 20%. After this, other two languages were used by students mostly with 15% proportion. Spanish, French and German were spoken least in that year with only 10% ratio.

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 ability to fully develop the response. While you have identified some main features, the analysis is superficial and lacks the necessary detail to provide a comprehensive summary. You have attempted to make comparisons, but the under-length nature of the essay means that the overview is incomplete and the data is not fully explored. To improve, ensure you describe all categories presented in the charts and provide a more thorough comparison between the two years, ensuring you reach the minimum word count to allow for full task completion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'In 2000', 'While', 'After this'). The progression of ideas is clear, but the lack of sufficient content makes the overall flow feel disjointed. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect your sentences and ideas more naturally. Ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus and that the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is smooth.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision expected at higher bands. Phrases like 'fraction of languages' and 'another unknown language' are slightly imprecise given the context of the charts. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'substantially conversed by learners' and 'marginally spoken by pupils'. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary related to data description, such as 'proportion', 'percentage', 'accounted for', and 'represented'. Avoid using informal or inaccurate phrasing when describing statistical data.

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, 'in during years 2000' is redundant, and 'another language has substantially conversed by learners' uses the incorrect voice. There are also issues with article usage and preposition choice throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and subject-verb agreement. Ensure that you proofread your work to catch minor errors in tense and word order, which will help improve the overall accuracy of your writing.

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

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