Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-22

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 6.5)

he given pie charts delineate the results of the percentage of British students able to speak languages other than English in 2000 and in 2010. The number of students who could speak only English increased from 2000 to 2010.

Overall, the proportion of students who could speak languages other than English was more in 2000 compared to 2010. Spanish, French and German changed over the period of 10 years. Furthermore, Spanish remained the most widely spoken additional language in both years.

Firstly, in 2000, 30% of British students were unable to speak any language other than English. Spanish was the most common additional language, accounting for 20% of the students. Moreover, French and another language were spoken by 15% of the students, while only 10% could speak German. The last 10% were able to speak two other languages.

Secondly, by 2010, the percentage of students who could speak only English had risen to 35%. Meanwhile, the students who could speak Spanish only fell to 10% and French speakers rose to 20%. Additionally the students who could speak only Spanish stayed constant at 10%. In contrast, the proportion of students who could speak two other languages rose from 10% to 15%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all categories and made relevant comparisons between the two years. However, there is a factual inconsistency in your analysis: you mention 'Spanish only' falling to 10% and then state 'students who could speak only Spanish stayed constant at 10%'. This creates confusion for the reader. To reach a higher band, ensure that your data reporting is precise and that you avoid contradictory statements. The overview is clear, but could be more analytical by highlighting the most significant trends, such as the shift away from Spanish and the increase in students speaking two languages.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Meanwhile', and 'In contrast' to guide the reader through the information. However, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is slightly mechanical. Additionally, the referencing in the second body paragraph is a bit repetitive. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the progression of ideas flows more naturally between sentences. Overall, the structure is sound and supports the development of your response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'delineate', 'proportion', 'accounting for', and 'constant'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'the results of the percentage', which is slightly unnatural. You also repeat the phrase 'students who could speak' several times, which limits the variety of your expression. To achieve a higher score, try to use more precise synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' (e.g., 'surged', 'declined', 'fluctuated') and avoid repetitive sentence structures. Your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'the results of the percentage of British students able to speak' (which is slightly wordy) and 'the proportion of students who could speak languages other than English was more in 2000' (where 'higher' would be more accurate than 'more'). Punctuation is generally correct, though you missed a comma after 'Additionally' in the final paragraph. The errors present do not impede communication, but you should aim for greater precision in your complex sentences to reach a higher band.

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

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