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 provided pie charts depict the percentages of British students who studied at a of England, who were capable to speak multiple languages accompanied to English, in the years 2000 and 2010.
Overall, What stands out from the data is that in 2000 most of the university students could not able to speak different languages, while some of them were capable of speaking Spanish. However, in 2010, the ratio of no other languages increased further by 5%, and Spanish became the least spoken language, followed by French.
At the very beginning of the period, 30% of students could not speaking any language except English, while 20% learners in university were able to speak Spanish, and 15% spoke French, followed by another language, while 10% spoke only German, which made equal to two other languages.
In 2010, The ratio of no other language rose to 35%, whereas Spanish percentage dropped to 10%, followed by French. 20% of students could speak other language accompanied English. German's ratio remained constant, while 15% of students were able to speak two other languages.
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 covers the main features of the charts and makes relevant comparisons between 2000 and 2010. However, the data reporting is inconsistent and contains inaccuracies. For instance, the student states that 30% of students could not speak any language except English in 2000, while the chart indicates 20%. Furthermore, the description of the 2010 data is confusing, particularly regarding the 'two other languages' and 'other language' categories. While the overview is present, the lack of precision in data extraction and the misinterpretation of some categories prevent a higher score. The response addresses the task requirements but lacks the necessary accuracy in reporting the figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'whereas' are used to link ideas. However, the progression of information is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. For example, the sentence 'German's ratio remained constant, while 15% of students were able to speak two other languages' lacks a clear connection to the preceding data. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences is sometimes repetitive, which affects the overall coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. The student uses basic terms like 'capable to speak' (incorrect collocation) and 'ratio' repeatedly. There are noticeable errors in word choice, such as 'accompanied to English' instead of 'in addition to English'. While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary, the range is limited, and the errors in collocation and phrasing occasionally make the text feel unnatural. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring correct collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include 'could not able to speak' (incorrect modal usage), '30% of students could not speaking' (incorrect verb form), and 'Spanish percentage dropped' (missing article). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the frequency of errors in basic sentence construction and verb tense consistency is noticeable. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. More attention to subject-verb agreement and correct verb patterns is needed.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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