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, while there was only a 5% increase in 2010, and it jumped 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 despite the proportion of German speakers remaining stable in both periods.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features and provided relevant comparisons between the two years. You covered all categories (Spanish, French, German, 'another language', 'two languages', and 'no other language') and highlighted key trends such as the decline in students speaking no other language and the rise in multilingualism. However, the report could be improved by ensuring the data points are presented with absolute precision. For instance, you mention 'another language outweighed French by a steady increase of 5%', but the data shows more specific shifts. Overall, you have provided a clear overview and supported your points with relevant data, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Overall', and 'In both periods' to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the trends. While the flow is generally good, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the repetition of phrases like 'in both periods' or 'in 2010' could be varied to improve the natural progression of ideas. Nevertheless, the information is presented in a coherent manner throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportions', 'multilingual', 'constant', and 'upward trend'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'increased their contribution' or 'outweighed', which are not the most natural collocations for describing statistical data. You also repeat certain phrases, which limits the flexibility of your lexical range. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to trends and proportions, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'accounted for'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The pie charts compare...' and 'French and another language had the same position... but at the end of the first decade...'. While most of your sentences are clear and easy to follow, there are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'remained the highest' (referring to a language rather than a percentage) and 'in both eras' (which is slightly awkward in this context). Punctuation is generally accurate, and your errors do not impede communication, placing you firmly in the Band 6.5 range.

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

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