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 shows the students who speak other languages in addition to English at one university in England during 2000 and 2010.
Overall, the percentage of British students who could speak different languages other than English shown a minimum increment and decrement in their contribution.
In 2000, students who were able to speak Spanish
was about 20% .While the students who could speak no other language than English had an increment of 5%. The students who could speak two other languages was almost 10%. The students who could speak French was almost 15%.
While in 2010, the percentage of speaking different languages shown decrement as well as increment.
In it Spanish speaking students percent had come down to 10% while no other language had an increment to 35%. Whereas, German speaking remained constant. While two other languages had also shown an increment fromm
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. Furthermore, the response is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence. While you have identified some key features, such as the changes in Spanish and 'no other language' categories, the analysis is superficial and lacks a comprehensive comparison of all data points. The overview provided is vague and does not clearly highlight the most significant trends. To improve, ensure you complete the task by covering all categories shown in the charts and provide a more detailed summary of the data trends, ensuring the response meets the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay lacks a logical structure. The paragraphs are poorly developed, and the abrupt ending makes it difficult to follow the progression of ideas. While there are some attempts at cohesive devices like 'Overall' and 'In 2000', the flow is frequently interrupted by grammatical errors and incomplete thoughts. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the transition between the two years is mechanical rather than analytical. To improve, focus on using clear topic sentences for each paragraph and ensure that cohesive devices are used to link ideas smoothly rather than just starting sentences.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You frequently use basic phrases such as 'increment' and 'decrement' to describe changes, which is not the most natural way to report data. There are also issues with word choice, such as 'shown a minimum increment and decrement in their contribution', which is imprecise. The spelling error 'fromm' also detracts from the quality of the writing. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate a wider range of vocabulary related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', 'rose significantly', or 'accounted for'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'shown a minimum increment' (should be 'showed'), 'Spanish speaking students percent had come down' (awkward phrasing), and 'no other language had an increment to 35%' (should be 'increased to'). There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the punctuation is inconsistent. The incomplete final sentence is a major issue. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions when describing statistical data. Practice writing complete, grammatically accurate sentences before attempting more complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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