Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-31

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)

There are two Pie charts that reveal the information related to percentange of british students who can speak other language in addition to English in year 2000 and 2010 respectively.

In year 2000,The maximum number of students could speak only English language, then there were Spanish speakers that inclined to 20%.After, there were proportions of another and French language speakers that contributed 15% of each.At last, there were German and two other languages speaker that both have margin of 10% each.

In the year 2010,The highest speaking language remained same that is English with tremendous increase from 30 to 35%.Also, rise is seen in another language speakers from 15 to 20%.

In Case of German speakers the ratio stayed constant. while, Decline is seen in French speakers and Spanish speakers that both have equal distribution that is 10%.

Overall, The maximum speaking language in both years is English

.The least speaking language in both years in German.on the other hand other languages have seen high and low in the percentage over the years.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts, but the analysis is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While you identified the main trends, the description of the data is occasionally inaccurate (e.g., stating English increased from 30% to 35% when the chart shows 30% to 35% is not the only change, and the interpretation of 'other' languages is slightly confusing). To reach a higher band, ensure that comparisons are more precise and that the overview highlights the most significant trends rather than just listing data points. The summary provided at the end is a good start but needs to be more integrated into the body of the report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often repetitive or mechanical (e.g., 'In year 2000', 'In the year 2010', 'In Case of'). There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas smoothly. Some sentences are disjointed, and the transition between the data points could be improved by using more varied cohesive devices to show contrast or similarity, such as 'whereas', 'conversely', or 'in contrast'.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic terms like 'number', 'rise', and 'decline'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'maximum number of students could speak only English' (should be 'the largest proportion') and 'least speaking language' (should be 'least spoken language'). To improve, try to incorporate more academic vocabulary related to data description, such as 'accounted for', 'fluctuated', or 'remained stable'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ('in year 2000'), incorrect capitalization ('The maximum'), and awkward phrasing ('inclined to 20%'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are noticeable and occur throughout the text. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would significantly improve the clarity and professional tone of your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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