Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

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 the most widely spoken additional language in both years, while the share of students who spoke no other language declined substantially. Speakers of Spanish, two other languages, and another language increased, while German remained unchanged.

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 periods.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully identified the main features and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all categories (Spanish, French, German, two languages, another language, and no other language) and made relevant comparisons between 2000 and 2010. The data is accurately reported, and the trends are clearly described. To reach a higher band, ensure that you consistently distinguish between 'proportions' and 'numbers'—for example, you mention 'the number of students' when the chart actually shows percentages. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the data effectively. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'while', and 'in both periods' to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the trends. The progression of ideas is clear, and the referencing is generally accurate. To improve, ensure that the transition between sentences is always smooth; for instance, the connection between the overview and the first body paragraph could be slightly more integrated to enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'widely spoken', 'remained stable', and 'upward trend' are used effectively. There is some attempt to use less common vocabulary, such as 'surpassed' and 'contribution'. However, there are minor issues with word choice, such as 'the difference of 10%' (which is slightly awkward) and the confusion between 'number' and 'proportion'. The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but incorporating more precise academic collocations would elevate the score further.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The pie charts compare...' and 'The percentage of students who spoke no other language fell...'. Most sentences are error-free, and your control of punctuation is good. There are occasional minor inaccuracies, such as 'French and another language had the same position', which could be phrased more naturally. The grammar is generally accurate, and the errors present do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures, such as passive voice or more sophisticated subordinate clauses.

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

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