Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-01
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 two pie charts compare the proportion of British students who could speak languages other than English in the years 2000 and 2010.
Overall, the majority of students in both years speak no other language. However, there was a noticeable increase in the students proficient in the additional language by 2010. German was the most commonly spoken foreign language in both years, while Spanish saw the sharpest decline.
In 2000, 30% of students spoke no other language. While second most spoken language was Spanish about 20% and there were 15% students proficient in French. Moreover, there were only 10% students who could speak German. And there are 15% students who could spoke another foreign language like Polish, Urdu or Italian. And there were only 10% students who are trilingual.
And if we talk about the year 2010, 35% students were monolingual. And 20% students spoke another foreign language. While Spanish, German and French accounted for same proportion about 10%. However, students who could speak three languages showed a significant growth about 15%.
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 provides a clear overview and identifies key trends. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the text states that in 2000, 30% of students spoke no other language, whereas the chart shows 30% for 'no other language' but then lists other categories that do not align with the provided data points. Furthermore, the claim that 'Spanish saw the sharpest decline' is not supported by the data, as the charts show different categories for each year, making direct comparison of specific languages problematic. The summary is generally relevant, but the misinterpretation of the figures prevents a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'In 2000', which help guide the reader. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent starting of sentences with 'And'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two years, but the progression of ideas within the paragraphs is occasionally hindered by the inaccurate data reporting, which makes the comparison difficult to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with attempts to use terms like 'proficient', 'monolingual', and 'trilingual'. However, there are errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'proficient in the additional language' (should be 'an additional language') and 'could spoke' (grammatical error affecting lexical accuracy). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. Some phrasing is repetitive, particularly the reliance on 'students who could speak'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as '15% students' (missing 'of'), 'could spoke' (incorrect verb form), and 'students who are trilingual' (tense inconsistency). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence structure is often simplistic. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures, keeping the score in the mid-range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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