Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-05

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 6.0)

The given pie chart depicts the percentage of British students who were able to speak other languages in addition to English at one university in England, in 2000 and 2010.

Overall, it is evident that the majority of students in 2000 and 2010, were not able to speak any other language except English. Initially, Spanish was very popular in 2000, although in 2010 most people could speak another language.

In 2000, 30% of students were not able to speak other language, and the figure rose to 35% in 2010. Moreover, 20% of British students could speak Spanish in 2000 and the figure decreased to half in 2010. Furthermore, 15% of students were able to speak French in 2000 and the number of students declined to 10% in 2010.

Additionally, in 2000 and 2010, only 10% of students could speak German. 15% of students could speak another language in 2000, in contrast to 2010, 20% of British students could speak another language. In 2000, only 10% of students could speak two other languages and in 2010 the figure increased to 15%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the charts, including the proportions for each language category in both years. You have successfully identified the main trends, such as the decrease in Spanish and French speakers and the increase in those speaking two languages. However, there is a factual error in your summary: you state that the majority of students were not able to speak any other language, but the data shows 30% and 35% respectively, which is a minority, not a majority. Additionally, the overview is slightly contradictory, claiming most people could speak another language in 2010 while simultaneously noting the increase in those who could not. More careful data interpretation is required to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'Additionally' to link your points. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the paragraphing could be improved by grouping the data more effectively—perhaps by comparing the 'no other language' category separately from the specific language categories. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be more natural to achieve a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportions', 'depicts', and 'declined'. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive. There are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'the figure decreased to half in 2010' (which is mathematically imprecise based on the 20% to 10% change) and 'not able to speak other language' (missing an article). To improve, try to incorporate more precise reporting verbs and synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' to avoid relying on the same structures throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the figure rose to 35% in 2010' (which is fine) but also 'in 2010 most people could speak another language' (which lacks a comma) and 'not able to speak other language' (missing the plural 'languages'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some unnecessary commas, such as in the second paragraph ('in 2000 and 2010, were not able'). These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the response from reaching the higher bands where error-free sentences are more frequent.

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

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