Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-25
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 5.5)
The pie chart represents the combined proportions of British students at one university in England who were able to speak multiple languages instead of English, in 2000 and 2010.
Overall, the pie chart is consisted of three main languages spoken by students: French, Spanish and German. Some of the students are able to speak two other languages. While, some British students are unable to communicate any other language.
The proportion of Spanish spoken by students was more than the proportion of French in 2000. Spanish was at 20 percent while French was at 15%.However, only 10% students were able to speak German language and also 10% were speaking two other languages in 2010. Unluckily, the dominating sector, which was at 30% in 2010 were the students who were not able to speak any other languages except English.
So, the average percentage of other languages spoken by British students was more than the proportion of students who were unable to speak multiple languages.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to summarize the data but fails to provide a clear or accurate overview. The interpretation of the charts is problematic; for instance, you state the chart represents languages 'instead of English,' whereas the prompt specifies these are languages 'in addition to English.' Furthermore, the data reporting is inconsistent and confusing. You mention 2000 and 2010 data but fail to clearly contrast the two years, leading to a lack of meaningful comparison. The final summary sentence is mathematically inaccurate based on the provided charts. To improve, ensure you clearly distinguish between the two years and focus on the most significant trends rather than listing isolated figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is abrupt. While some cohesive devices are used (e.g., 'Overall', 'While', 'However'), they are sometimes used incorrectly or do not effectively link ideas. For example, 'While, some British students...' uses a comma incorrectly after a conjunction. The referencing is also unclear; it is often difficult to determine which year or category you are referring to, which hinders the flow of information. More careful planning of paragraph structure and better use of linking words would improve the clarity of your report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'proportion of' and 'students who were able to speak.' There are also inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'the pie chart is consisted of,' which should be 'consists of' or 'is composed of.' The phrase 'Unluckily, the dominating sector' is stylistically inappropriate for an academic report, as it introduces personal opinion. To reach a higher band, try to use more precise terminology for describing data, such as 'accounted for,' 'represented,' or 'a significant minority,' and avoid informal or emotive language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the pie chart is consisted of' (passive voice error), 'only 10% students' (missing article 'of'), and 'unable to communicate any other language' (should be 'communicate in'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, these errors occur throughout the text and occasionally cause the reader to pause. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions when describing data trends.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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