Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-20
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 pie chart depicts the percentage of British students at one university in England who were able to speak other languages than english in the years 2000 and 2010.
Overall, it can be seen that the percentage of students in England who speak no other language than english is more then the students who can speak other languages in both years are almost same with a very little difference. After that the most significant change can be seen with the students who were able to speak only spanish were 20% in 2000 and reduced 10% in 2010.
Furthermore, the percentage of the students who speak spanish fall drametically in 2010. Meanwhile, bilingual students were at 10% in 2000 and rose slightly to 15% in 2010. Whereas, who knows only french reduced 15% to 10%. The percentage of german speakers remaind same in the both years.Students speak another language were 15% in 2000 and in 2010 it reached 20%. In comparison, the students who were no able to speak other language were higher in 2000 and 2010 with the persentage of 30 and 35 respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully identifies the main features of the two pie charts, reporting data for both 2000 and 2010. Key statistics, such as the percentages for Spanish speakers (20% falling to 10%) and those with no other language (30% rising to 35%), are correctly highlighted and compared. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasings in how data is presented, such as claiming that no other language speakers were 'almost same with a very little difference' when numbers shifted from 30% to 35%. Despite these minor flaws, an adequate overview is provided and key data points are appropriately selected. This aligns well with Band 6.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response has an overall coherent arrangement, starting with an introduction, followed by an overview, and breaking down specific data points into subsequent paragraphs. However, logical progression is occasionally disrupted by confusing phrasing and abrupt transitions, such as starting paragraphs with 'After that' or 'Furthermore'. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or faultily integrated (e.g., 'Meanwhile, bilingual students... Whereas, who knows only french reduced...'). Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion lacks seamless flow. These characteristics place the response firmly in Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully using terms like 'percentage', 'bilingual students', and 'significant change'. However, there are numerous lexical and collocational errors throughout the text, including capitalization issues ('english', 'spanish', 'french', 'german'), awkward word forms ('who knows only french reduced', 'Students speak another language'), and incorrect verb collocations (e.g., Spanish speakers 'reduced 10%', percentages that 'fall drametically'). Spelling errors like 'drametically' and 'remaind' also occur. Because the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points despite recurring errors, a Band 5.0 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and sentence structure is inconsistent. There are several noticeable grammatical errors, such as missing subjects or verbs (e.g., 'Students speak another language were 15%', 'the students who were no able to speak other language'), incorrect prepositions, and tense inconsistencies. Clauses are sometimes clumsily linked, causing the reader some difficulty (e.g., 'the percentage of students in England who speak no other language than english is more then the students who can speak other languages in both years are almost same'). Frequent errors place this at Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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