Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-18

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 two pie charts compare the percentage of British pupils who spoke languages other than English in a UK university over a decade starting from 2000 to 2010.

Overall, the proportion of students who spoke no other languages was the highest in both given years, whereas learners who knew German only were at the lowest percentage in both years.

In 2000, the figure showed 30% of university learners knew no other languages, while half of them were aware of French and another language. Moreover, a similar percentage of 10% was shared by pupils who spoke German and two other languages. Paradoxically, the proportion of Spanish speaking students increased dramatically to double.

In 2010, the pattern depicted a slight increase of 5% in students who were able to speak two other languages and no other languages, in contrast Spanish learners plummeted to half (10%). Furthermore, the percentage of pupils who knew any other language rose significantly to 20%. Additionally, French and German speaking university learners were 10%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a clear overview and identifies key features, such as the dominance of the 'no other language' category. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you state that in 2000, 'half of them were aware of French', but the chart shows 30% for French. You also mention that Spanish increased 'to double' and later 'plummeted to half', but the data labels (10% to 20% and 20% to 10%) do not align with these descriptions. While the main trends are identified, the misinterpretation of the data points prevents a higher score. Ensure you double-check the figures against the visual aids to ensure accuracy.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 2000', 'Moreover', and 'In 2010' to guide the reader through the information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two years. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by the data inaccuracies mentioned in the task achievement section, which makes the comparison confusing. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Overall, the structure is sound and supports the flow of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'depicted', 'plummeted', and 'paradoxically'. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, which is positive. However, some word choices are imprecise or used incorrectly in context, such as 'the figure showed 30%... while half of them were aware of French', which is confusingly phrased. Additionally, the word 'pupils' is used to refer to university students, whereas 'students' or 'undergraduates' would be more appropriate in an academic context. The range is sufficient to communicate the main points, but precision needs improvement.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'starting from 2000 to 2010' (should be 'from 2000 to 2010'), and 'the figure showed 30% of university learners knew no other languages, while half of them were aware of French' (the 'half' is mathematically incorrect and grammatically confusing). Punctuation is generally accurate, and the errors present do not impede overall communication. To improve, focus on ensuring that complex sentence structures are used correctly and that subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the report.

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

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