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 were almost 10%. The students who could speak French were 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 students remained constant. While two other languages speakers had also showed an increment from 15% to 20%
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the task by summarizing the main features of the charts. However, the data reporting is inconsistent and contains inaccuracies. For instance, you state that students speaking no other language had an increment of 5% in 2000, which is unclear, and your description of the 2010 data is confusing, particularly regarding the German-speaking students, whose figures are not clearly supported by the provided data. While you attempt to make comparisons, the lack of precision in reporting the figures hinders the clarity of the summary. To improve, ensure that every figure mentioned is accurate and that the overall trends are clearly distinguished from specific data points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical progression is sometimes disrupted by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'While' and 'Whereas', but they are occasionally used incorrectly or in a way that makes the flow mechanical. For example, the transition between the 2000 and 2010 data could be smoother. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to track which group is being discussed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used to connect ideas logically would enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'increment' and 'decrement' repeatedly, which makes the writing feel repetitive. There are also some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'the percentage of speaking different languages shown decrement', which is grammatically and lexically awkward. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate a wider range of vocabulary related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'experienced a decline', and ensure that these terms are used in the correct context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of information. Examples include 'shown a minimum increment' (should be 'showed'), 'students who were able to speak Spanish was' (subject-verb agreement error: 'were'), and 'percent had come down' (should be 'percentage'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences ending abruptly or lacking necessary commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct verb tense usage will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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