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)

The given pie charts delineate the proportion 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 higher 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 number of students who could speak French 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 surged from 10% to 15%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts and makes relevant comparisons. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, the student states that Spanish remained constant at 10% in 2010, whereas the chart indicates it was 30%. Similarly, the claim that French rose to 20% is incorrect based on the provided data (which shows 10%). While the overview is clear, the failure to accurately transcribe the data points significantly impacts the task achievement score, as the summary does not correctly reflect the information provided in the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and two body paragraphs. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Meanwhile', and 'In contrast' helps guide the reader through the information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different years and categories. The progression of ideas is generally clear, although the lack of accuracy in the data reporting makes the logical flow feel somewhat disconnected from the actual visual evidence. Overall, the structure is sound and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task. The student employs some topic-specific language such as 'delineate', 'proportion', 'accounted for', and 'surged'. While the range is sufficient to convey the main points, there is little use of more sophisticated or precise academic vocabulary. Some word choices are repetitive, and the inaccuracies in data reporting suggest a lack of precision in handling numerical information. To reach a higher band, the student should aim for more varied collocations and precise terminology related to trends and data analysis.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is generally good control over basic grammar, and errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. Examples of complex structures include 'The number of students who could speak only English increased...' and 'the percentage of students who could speak only English had risen to 35%'. Punctuation is generally accurate. While the range of structures is somewhat limited, the accuracy is quite high, which supports a solid band 6.5 or 7.0 for this criterion.

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

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