Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-10
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 pie chart illustrates the proportions of British students at one university in England who were able to speak other languages: Spanish, French, German. Another language and so on in addition to English in 2000 and 2010.
Overall, the number of people who don't speak English was higher comparatively to other whereas German and two other languages were spoken by the lowest number of individuals. However, French and another language was spoken at the same proportion in the British. Meanwhile , Spanish was the second most spoken language than English at one university in England.
The huge amount of British students weren't able to speak No other language rather than English with 30% of total amount. On the other hand, British students able to speak Spanish was highest among other native language with 20% of total number. Similarly, French and Another language was spoken by approximately 15% of British students.
As well as, German and two other languages were spoken roughly by 10% of proportions of British students which was less in number than other native languages.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to summarize the data but fails to clearly distinguish between the two years (2000 and 2010). The instructions require a comparison of the two time periods, yet the student provides a static description that conflates the data. Furthermore, the interpretation of the categories is inaccurate; for instance, the student describes 'No other language' as a language category, which is a misreading of the chart. While the main features are identified, the lack of temporal comparison and the misinterpretation of the data labels significantly limit the task achievement. To improve, ensure you clearly contrast the changes between 2000 and 2010 rather than describing the charts as a single set of data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'As well as' is used incorrectly at the start of a sentence, and 'Meanwhile' is used to connect ideas that do not logically follow one another. Referencing is also problematic; the phrase 'the British' is used as a noun, which is grammatically incorrect in this context. While there is an attempt at an overall progression, the logical flow is frequently interrupted by awkward transitions and unclear referencing, which hinders the overall coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary range is limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic phrasing such as 'number of people' and 'total amount' throughout the text. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'the huge amount of British students' (should be 'a large proportion') and 'No other language' being treated as a language. The term 'native language' is used incorrectly to describe foreign languages. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise terminology related to data description, such as 'proportion,' 'percentage,' 'fluctuated,' or 'remained stable,' and avoid repeating the same basic descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'French and another language was spoken' (should be 'were spoken') and 'British students able to speak Spanish was highest' (should be 'the proportion of British students... was highest'). The sentence structure is often simplistic or awkward, such as 'the number of people who don't speak English was higher comparatively to other'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of commas. A wider range of complex structures is needed, and greater attention must be paid to basic grammatical accuracy to improve the score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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