Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The two pie charts illustrate the percentages of British students who could speak languages other than English at one university in England for the years 2000 and 2010.
Overall, in the year 2000, the majority of students did not know any language other than English, while only a few knew German. Even in the year 2010, a large proportion of students knew only English. However, fewer students knew either Spanish or French.
In the first pie chart, 30 Percent of students accounted for speaking only English.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which severely impacts the task achievement score. Because the response is incomplete, it fails to report all the main features or make the necessary comparisons between the two years. The analysis is cut off after only one data point, meaning the majority of the information provided in the charts is ignored. To improve, you must ensure you cover all categories and years presented in the visual data and provide a comprehensive summary that meets the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is too short to demonstrate a full range of cohesive devices or effective paragraphing. While the introduction and the start of the overview are clear, the abrupt ending prevents the development of a logical progression of ideas. There is an attempt to use linking words like 'Overall' and 'However', which is positive, but the lack of a complete structure makes it difficult to assess your ability to organize information coherently across a full essay.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is accurate but very limited due to the brevity of the text. You have used basic terms such as 'percentages', 'illustrate', and 'proportion' correctly, which are appropriate for an academic task. However, because the response is so short, you have not had the opportunity to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary or more sophisticated collocations. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use a broader variety of synonyms and descriptive language to compare the data points.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The sentences produced are grammatically correct and clear. You have used simple sentence structures effectively, such as 'The two pie charts illustrate...' and '...the majority of students did not know...'. However, the range of structures is limited. There are no complex sentences or varied grammatical forms present. To improve, you should practice incorporating complex structures, such as relative clauses or comparative constructions, to describe the trends in the data more fluidly.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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