Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-04

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 6.5)

The pie charts compare the percentages of British students at a university in England who could speak languages other than english, in 2000 and 2010.

Overall, the students speaking english accounted for the largest proportion in both years. The figures for those speaking another language and two other languages increased, however the percentages of Spanish and French declined. Meanwhile, German speakers remained the same in 2000 and 2010.

The students speaking english experienced a rise of 5 percentage points to 35% in 2010. The figure for those speaking another language increased from 15% in 2000 to 20% in 2010, whereas the the proportion of students speaking two other languages rose by 5 percentage points to 15% in 2010.

Students speaking Spanish declined by 10 percentage points to 10% in 2010. By contrast, French speakers accounted for 10% of students in 2010, down from 15% in 2000. Meanwhile, the proportion of students speaking German remained unchanged, at 10% in 2000 and 2010.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively identifies the main features and makes relevant comparisons between the two years. You have successfully highlighted the trends for each category, such as the rise in 'no other language' and the decline in Spanish and French. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the data. However, to reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurate. For instance, you stated that 'students speaking english' rose to 35% in 2010, but the chart indicates 30% in 2000 and 35% in 2010, which is correct, but ensure your interpretation of 'no other language' versus 'other languages' remains consistent throughout the report to avoid confusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the data effectively. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Meanwhile', 'whereas', and 'By contrast' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the general trends from the specific data points. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the information is presented in a way that is easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a Band 7 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accounted for', 'proportion', 'remained unchanged', and 'percentage points' correctly. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it is somewhat repetitive. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' (e.g., 'surged', 'plummeted', 'fluctuated') and use more sophisticated collocations. There are no significant spelling errors, and the vocabulary used is appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of 'whereas' and 'although' to contrast data. Most sentences are error-free, and your control of grammar is generally good. There is a minor error in the second paragraph where you wrote 'the the proportion', which is a simple slip. Overall, the grammatical control is strong enough to ensure that communication is never impeded. To improve, you could experiment with more varied complex structures, such as participle clauses, to enhance the flow.

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

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