Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-27
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 6.0)
The charts illustrate, the numbers of a British university students who are able to talk in different languages in addition to English in 2000 and 2010.
Overall, there are significant changes in the languages over the years. Spanish was the most usable as an alternative language in 2000 but in 2010 declined. Meanwhile, the proportions speaking French only, another language and two other languages changed noticeably over the period.
In 2000, 20% of the students were able to talk in Spanish making it the most popular additional language. French was the second popular additional language, around 15% students were able to talk in French. Almost 10% students know German language and 15% students were able to talk another language. The remaining 30% students could not talk any language apart from English.
By 2010, the percentage of Spanish students had decreased to 10%, while the proportion of German speaking students remains same. French and other language speaking students had increased respectively 10% and 20%. Meanwhile the proportion of no other language students had increased by 5%, reaching 35%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the charts and makes relevant comparisons between the two years. You have successfully identified the key trends, such as the decline in Spanish and the rise in French and other languages. However, the report could be improved by ensuring data accuracy; for instance, you mention 'two other languages' in the overview, but the chart categories are 'two or more languages'. Additionally, the description of the 'no other language' category is clear, but the overall summary could be more analytical by highlighting the most significant shifts rather than just listing changes. The response meets the requirements of the task well.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from a general summary to specific data points. You use some cohesive devices like 'Meanwhile' and 'By 2010' to link ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes a bit mechanical, and the transition between sentences could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately, which helps the reader follow the information easily. To reach a higher band, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the relationship between sentences is more explicitly stated.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the charts, using terms like 'proportions', 'declined', 'increased', and 'percentage'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'most usable' instead of 'most popular' or 'most common', and 'Spanish students' when you mean 'students speaking Spanish'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to data description, such as 'a significant decrease' or 'remained stable'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the numbers of a British university students' (incorrect article usage) and '15% students were able to talk another language' (missing preposition 'in'). Additionally, 'the proportion of German speaking students remains same' should be 'remained the same' to maintain consistent past tense. While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede communication. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring consistent tense usage would help improve your score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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