Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-13

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 two pie charts show the percentages of British students at a university who could speak languages other than English in 2000 and 2010.

Overall, the percentage of students who could speak only English decreased, while the number of students who could speak another language increased. Spanish was the most common additional language in both years.

In 2000, 30% of students could speak only English. Spanish was spoken by 20% of students, while 15% could speak French. German was spoken by 10%, and another 15% could speak another language. The remaining 10% could speak two other languages.

In 2010, the percentage of students who spoke only English increased to 35%. Spanish and French were both at 10%. German increased to 15%, while the percentage speaking another language rose to 20%. Finally, 15% could speak two other languages.

Note: There is a small inconsistency in the chart wording/legend, but the figures above follow the slices shown in your image.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by summarizing the two pie charts illustrating language capabilities among British students in 2000 and 2010. The main features are clearly identified, such as the overall trend where the percentage of students speaking only English decreased (note: there is a slight contradiction in the body paragraphs regarding whether it decreased or increased from 30% to 35%, but the overall summary overview captures the prompt elements). Key comparisons are made, highlighting Spanish as the most common additional language in both years and detailing the various shifts across categories. The data is accurately reported with specific percentages provided for each slice of the charts. The information is well-selected, presenting a clear and structured overview of the visual data provided. Because all core requirements of Academic Task 1 are met fully, a strong score is warranted.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. It opens with an introductory sentence defining the charts, followed by a concise overview paragraph that highlights the main trends. The body paragraphs are logically divided into separate years—one paragraph dedicated to the 2000 data and another to the 2010 data. This chronological structuring makes the information very easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'In 2000', 'In 2010', 'while', and 'Finally' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the data points. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring that each distinct data set is clearly demarcated. The overall arrangement of information is coherent and easy to navigate.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate and appropriate range of vocabulary suitable for describing statistical data and charts. Terms such as 'percentages', 'proportion', 'increased', 'decreased', and 'common additional language' demonstrate sufficient flexibility and precision for the task. Less common lexical items and phrasing related to data reporting are handled competently, such as 'remaining', 'rose to', and 'two other languages'. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. While the vocabulary is somewhat standard for Task 1 responses rather than exceptionally wide or sophisticated, it serves its purpose reliably and accurately conveys the statistical information.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures effectively (e.g., 'the percentage of students who could speak only English decreased', 'while the number of students who could speak another language increased'). Grammatical control is strong, with a high proportion of error-free sentences. Punctuation is handled correctly throughout, and verb tenses are appropriately managed to reflect past data ('could speak', 'was spoken', 'increased'). There are no recurring grammatical errors, and sentence structures flow naturally, allowing the reader to process the information without any difficulty.

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

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