Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The chart 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. In this report I am to make a comparison between the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The graph show that in 2000 30 percent of british student the do not speak any other language which is the highest proportion. Furthermore, only 10 percent of student speak german only and 20 percent of student speak spanish. It is clear that most of the student do not speak any other language the English .

On the other hand in 2010 the figure went up significantly and 35 percent of people do not speak any other language which is the highest proportion. Similarly about 10 percent of people speak spanish , French and german while 20 percent of student speak two other languages.

In conclusion , there is a great difference in the british student who were able to speak other languages in 2000 and 2010.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts, but the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you identify the highest proportions, the comparison between the two years is limited. You mention that the figure for those not speaking other languages went up, but you fail to highlight the significant shifts in other categories, such as the decrease in students speaking only Spanish or the emergence of students speaking two languages. To reach a higher band, ensure you provide a more comprehensive overview of the data trends rather than just listing individual percentages.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'On the other hand', 'Similarly'). Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'the figure went up significantly', where it is not immediately obvious which category is being referenced. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clear transitions between sentences would enhance the flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'speak' and 'proportion' repeatedly. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'do not speak any other language the English', which should be 'other than English'. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms and precise academic terminology to describe trends and data points.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The graph show', 'most of the student do not speak') and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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