Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

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 2000 and 2010, while the share 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 percentage remained constant in both eras.

In both periods, Spanish remained the highest proportion, while there was only a 5% increase in 2010, and it increased 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 steady 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 stake of German speakers remained stable in both periods.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully identifies the main features and makes relevant comparisons between the two years. You have clearly highlighted the trends for each language category, such as the stability of German and the decline in students speaking no other language. However, the report could be improved by ensuring the data points are presented more accurately. For instance, you mention Spanish increased from 30% to 35%, but the charts show it went from 30% to 40%. Additionally, the term 'another language' is slightly ambiguous; it would be clearer to specify if this refers to a specific category from the chart. Overall, the information is well-selected and covers all key trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, and you use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Overall', and 'In both periods' to link your points. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different trends. While the flow is generally good, some transitions feel slightly repetitive, and the referencing could be more precise to avoid ambiguity when discussing the different language categories. Overall, the structure is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'remained constant', 'upward trend', and 'outweighed' are used effectively. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'contribution' and 'stake', which are not the most natural collocations for describing statistical data in this context. However, these do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to trends and proportions, such as 'accounted for', 'fluctuated', or 'a marginal decrease'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear, and the grammatical control is generally good. There are occasional minor errors, such as 'French and another language had the same position', which is slightly awkward phrasing. Punctuation is generally accurate, and the errors present do not cause any difficulty for the reader. To improve, aim for a wider variety of complex structures, such as using more relative clauses or passive voice constructions to describe the data, which would enhance the academic tone of the report.

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