Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-20

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 pie chart illustrates the proportion of students at a university in the UK who were able to speak multiple languages other than English in England during 2000 and 2010.

Overall, the proportion of students who spoke no other language increased slightly over the period. In contrast, Spanish, French and German declined, while the percentage of students who could speak two other languages increased.

In 2000, the largest proportion of students could not speak any other languages apart from English, which was 30%. The most widely spoken language was Spanish, accounting for 20%. On the other hand, German and two other languages were the least at 10%.

In 2010, the percentage of students who spoke two other languages increased to 5%, with 35% overall; the percentage of students who could speak two other languages has notably changed to 15%. Spanish- and French-speaking students have dramatically declined from 20 and 15 percentage to 10% each.

In contrast, students who can speak another unspecified language have increased, from 15% to with the figure 20%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview. You selected key data points to support your descriptions, such as the decline in Spanish and French and the rise in students speaking two other languages. However, there are some inaccuracies in your data reporting. For instance, you state that the percentage of students who spoke two other languages increased to 5% in 2010, but the chart shows 15%. Additionally, the sentence 'with 35% overall' is confusing as it does not clearly relate to the data provided. To achieve a higher band, ensure that your data transcription is precise and that your comparisons are logically linked to the figures shown in the charts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'On the other hand', and 'In 2000' to guide the reader through the information. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as the sentence 'the percentage of students who spoke two other languages increased to 5%, with 35% overall'. This makes the relationship between the figures unclear. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different time periods, which helps the overall flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'illustrates', 'accounted for', and 'dramatically declined'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it is somewhat repetitive and lacks the sophistication required for higher bands. There are also minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'the least at 10%' and 'from 20 and 15 percentage to 10% each'. Improving your precision when describing statistical changes will help you move into a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'from 20 and 15 percentage to 10% each' (should be 'percentage points') and 'from 15% to with the figure 20%'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do show a lack of consistent control over complex structures. To improve, focus on ensuring that your comparative structures are grammatically sound and that your prepositions are used correctly when describing data trends.

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

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