Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-29
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 charts illustrate the percentage of British learners at a single institute in England who were able to talk in other languages with english from 2000 to 2010.
Overall, another language and two other languages showed a significant growth, while 'No other' language, French and Spanish languages experienced a considerable decrease over the same period.
The 'No other' language had the highest percentage in both years among the six languages, and showed considerable increase, increasing from 30% in 2000 to 35% in 2010. The two other languages showed significant growth, increasing from 10% in 2000 to 15% in 2010. The another language experienced the similar trend, inclining from 15% to 20%, became the second largest percentage among the six languages.
The Spanish language had the second highest proportion in 2000, and experienced significant decrease, decreasing from 20% to 10% in 2010. The French speakers showed the same trend, declining from 15% to 10 %. The german language speaking students remained at the same percentage over the period at 10%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have successfully identified the main features and provided a clear overview. You accurately compared the data between 2000 and 2010. However, there is a factual error in your analysis: you stated that 'No other' language increased from 30% to 35%, but the chart shows it decreased from 30% to 20%. Additionally, you mentioned 'No other' had the highest percentage, which is correct, but your description of the trends for other categories is slightly confusing due to the misinterpretation of the data. To improve, ensure you double-check the figures against the visual data before writing, as accuracy is a key component of Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In both years', and 'The same trend' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by repetitive sentence structures and some mechanical use of linking words. To reach a higher band, try to vary your cohesive devices and ensure that the transition between sentences feels more natural rather than formulaic. The paragraphing is appropriate and helps the reader follow the structure of your report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'significant growth', 'considerable decrease', and 'proportion'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'talk in other languages with english' (should be 'speak other languages in addition to English') and 'inclining' (which is not the standard collocation for data trends; 'rising' or 'increasing' is better). You also repeat the word 'language' frequently. Expanding your range of synonyms for trends and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help you achieve a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'The another language experienced the similar trend' (should be 'The other language experienced a similar trend') and 'became the second largest percentage' (should be 'which became the second largest category'). There are also minor issues with article usage and punctuation. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. Most of your sentences are understandable, but the frequency of these minor errors prevents a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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