Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

The two pie charts compare the percentages of British students at an English university speaking different additional languages in 2000 and 2010.

Overall, the proportion of students speaking no additional language increased over the ten-year period, while the percentage of Spanish-only speakers saw a notable decline. Furthermore, Spanish was no longer the dominant language spoken by 2010.

In 2000, 30% of British students spoke no other language, while Spanish-only speakers accounted for 20%. French-only speakers made up 15%, and another language was spoken by 15% of students. Both German-only speakers and those speaking two other languages stood at 10% each.

By 2010, the proportion of students who spoke no other language rose to 35%, becoming the largest group. Conversely, the figure for Spanish-only speakers dropped significantly by half to 10%. French-only speakers dropped to 10%, whereas German remained unchanged at 10%. Meanwhile, students who spoke another language increased to 20%, and those who spoke two other languages grew to 15%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the main trends and successfully selected and reported key features from the charts. The comparison between the two years is well-integrated, and the data is accurately represented. For example, you correctly identified the increase in students speaking no additional language and the decline in Spanish-only speakers. The information is logically grouped, and the summary is balanced. To reach a higher band, ensure that you consistently highlight the most significant changes or contrasts, which you have done well here by noting the shift in the 'no additional language' category as the largest group.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose: the introduction, the overview, and the detailed body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Furthermore', 'In 2000', 'By 2010', and 'Conversely' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the information flows smoothly from one point to the next. The use of referencing is clear, and there is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive phrasing. The structure is well-managed throughout the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision. Phrases like 'notable decline', 'accounted for', and 'remained unchanged' are used accurately and appropriately for an academic report. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it is somewhat standard. To achieve a higher band, you could incorporate a slightly wider range of less common lexical items or more sophisticated collocations to describe trends, such as 'a marginal shift' or 'a pronounced contraction'. However, the current range is more than adequate for the task and shows good control over word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response displays a good variety of complex structures, such as the use of participial phrases ('becoming the largest group') and contrastive clauses ('whereas German remained unchanged'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and tense usage is consistent. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. The sentence structures are varied, moving between simple statements of fact and more complex comparative sentences. This demonstrates a high level of grammatical control suitable for an academic writing task.

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

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