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 held the same share at the start of the 21st century, but at the end of the first decade, another language surpassed French, with 10% difference. 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 significantly from 20% in 2000 to 10% in 2010. The proportion 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

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview and selected key features to compare, such as the rise in Spanish speakers and the decline in students speaking no other language. The data is accurately reported, and the comparison between 2000 and 2010 is logical. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are clearly linked to the specific years mentioned. For instance, while you mention 'another language' surpassed French, explicitly stating the percentages for both in 2010 would provide more precise support for your analysis. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: the introduction, the overview, and the detailed breakdown of the data. You have used cohesive devices such as 'In both periods', 'In contrast', and 'while' effectively to link sentences and ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the information flows smoothly from one point to the next. To improve further, ensure that referencing is always clear; for example, when mentioning 'another language', ensure the reader is not confused by the category label used in the chart. The structure is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision. Phrases like 'widely spoken', 'remained unchanged', and 'upward trend' are used appropriately. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, such as 'surpassed' and 'contribution', which adds to the academic tone. However, there are minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'relative 5% increase' (which is slightly awkward) and 'contribution of multilingual students'. Using more precise terminology for data trends, such as 'a marginal increase' or 'a significant shift', would enhance the sophistication of your writing. Overall, the vocabulary is adequate and supports the task well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The pie charts compare...' and 'The proportion of students speaking another language experienced an upward trend...'. Most sentences are error-free, and your control of grammar is generally good. There are occasional minor slips, such as 'at university' (should be 'at a university') and 'with 10% difference' (should be 'with a 10% difference'). These errors do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures, such as passive voice or conditional clauses, to demonstrate greater grammatical flexibility.

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

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