Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-12
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 two pie charts compare the percentages of British students in England's specific university and they can speak different languages other than English between the years 2000 and 2010.
Overall, it can be seen that no other language section accounted for the highest percentage in both the years while German speakers remained stable. Moreover, the remaining language speakers fluctuated over the 10-year period.
People who speak English made the highest percentage among all speakers from 30% in 2000 to 35% by 2010. Although German speakers stood at the same percentage, people who can speak another language saw a slight increase, rising from 15% in 2000 to 20% in 2010.
On the other hand, Spanish and French speakers experienced decrease, starting with 20% and 15% in 2000 reaching both 10% by the end of period in 2010. Furthermore, speakers able to speak two other languages rose up by 5% till the end of 2010 with beginning at 10% in 2000.
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 successfully covers all parts of the task by comparing the two pie charts for British students speaking other languages in 2000 and 2010. The student highlights key features and makes relevant comparisons, such as noting that the no-other-language category accounted for the highest percentage in both years and observing the trends for German, Spanish, and French speakers. The overview paragraph effectively summarises the main trends. However, there are minor inaccuracies in data interpretation; for instance, the student refers to those who 'speak English' as a category when the chart actually indicates students speaking 'no other language'. Despite this slight misinterpretation of the category label, the overall information is appropriately selected and reported, fulfilling the requirements for Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response has a clear overall arrangement and logical progression, divided into an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for specific data details. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, the phrase 'reaching both 10% by the end of period in 2010' is slightly awkward, and paragraph transitions could be smoother. Paragraphing is used adequately to structure the response into logical sections, resulting in a solid performance that fits the Band 6 descriptor for coherence and cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'fluctuated', 'stable', and 'proportions'. However, there are notable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'no other language section' instead of 'no other language category', and awkward phrasing like 'people who speak English' when discussing monolingual students. Furthermore, some verbs are misused, as seen in 'Spanish and French speakers experienced decrease'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical limitations and slight unnaturalness in phrasing place this response firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses such as 'students... who were able to speak' and 'people who can speak another language'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, such as 'and they can speak' in the introduction, missing articles ('experienced decrease'), and preposition errors ('with beginning at 10%'). Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and the meaning remains clear. The control of grammar aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor, reflecting a mix of error-free simple sentences and flawed complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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