Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The pie charts compare the proportions of British students at university in England who could speak other languages apart from English in 2000 and 2010.

Overall, Spanish was most popular in both periods of 2000 and 2010, while the proportion of students who spoke no other language declined in 2010 by a margin of 10%. Speakers of two other languages and another language increased their contribution by 5% in 2010. German was the only language whose proportion remained constant in both eras.

In 2000 and 2010, Spanish remained the highest proportion, while there was only a 5% increase in 2010, and it fluctuated from 30 to 35%. French and another language had the same position at the start of the 21st century, but at the end of the first decade, another language outweighed French by a dramatic increase of 5%. The contribution of multilingual students who spoke two languages rose significantly from 10 to 15%.

In contrast, the percentage of students who spoke no other language fell in the next ten years from 20 to 10%. The number of students speaking Another language experienced an upward trend and showed a slight increase of 5% at the end of the decade. The contribution of German speakers remained stable in both periods.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively covers the main features of the charts. You have successfully identified the key trends, such as the decline in students speaking no other language and the rise in multilingual students. The comparison between 2000 and 2010 is clear, and the data points are generally accurate. However, the report could be improved by ensuring that all data points are clearly linked to the correct categories; for instance, the description of 'another language' and 'French' is slightly confusing in the second paragraph. Overall, you have provided a clear overview and selected relevant data to support your summary, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Overall', and 'while' to connect ideas effectively. The progression of information is logical, moving from general trends to specific details. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different aspects of the data. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Nevertheless, the organization is clear and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision. Phrases like 'remained constant', 'upward trend', and 'outweighed' are used effectively. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'contribution' being used in a context where 'proportion' or 'percentage' would be more accurate. Additionally, the repetition of 'increase' and 'proportion' suggests that expanding your range of synonyms would be beneficial. Despite these minor inaccuracies, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You demonstrate good control over basic grammar, and your meaning is always clear. There are some minor errors, such as 'in both periods of 2000 and 2010' (which is slightly redundant) and 'the end of the first decade' (which is a bit wordy). Punctuation is generally accurate, and the errors present do not cause difficulty for the reader. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures with greater precision.

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

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