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 phases, 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 share by 5% in 2010. German was the only language whose percentage stayed constant in both eras.

In both periods, Spanish remained the highest, while there was a relative 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 surpassed French with the difference of 10%. 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 proportion of German speakers remained stable in both terms.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response effectively addresses the task by identifying the main trends and making relevant comparisons between 2000 and 2010. You successfully highlighted the most significant changes, such as the decline in students speaking no other language and the rise in Spanish and multilingual speakers. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the data. However, the analysis could be improved by ensuring the data points are cited with greater precision; for example, stating 'another language surpassed French' is accurate, but providing the specific percentages for both would strengthen the comparison. Overall, the response covers all key features well and maintains a consistent focus on the data provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group information effectively. The progression of ideas is 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 trends. While the flow is generally good, some transitions between sentences could be more varied to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Referencing is clear, and the structure allows the reader to follow the comparison of the two years without difficulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'proportions of British students', 'upward trend', and 'remained stable' are used accurately. You also attempt some less common vocabulary, such as 'multilingual' and 'surpassed'. However, there are minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'in both phases' (which is slightly unnatural in this context) and 'at the end of the first decade' (which is a bit wordy). To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations to describe statistical changes, such as 'a marginal decline' or 'a significant shift'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most sentences are error-free, and your control of grammar is generally good. There are a few minor slips, such as 'with the difference of 10%' (should be 'by a difference of 10%') and 'in both terms' (which is slightly imprecise). Despite these minor inaccuracies, the grammar does not impede communication. You have shown the ability to use complex structures, such as 'The pie charts compare the proportions... who could speak...', which is a positive feature of your writing.

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

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