Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-23

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 first chat shows the proportion of British students at one university in England who are able to speak other languages in addition to English, in 2000.

In 2000, in the university of England 20 pecent of British students are able to speak spanish in addition to English and 15 percent of students are able to speak French as well as English. In 2000 10 percent of students can speak German as a second language. And 15 percent of students can speak another unknown language beside this 10 percent of students can speak two anothers languages along English and rest of 30 percent students can speak only Engliah.

In 2010, 10 percent British students in England can speak Spanish as a second language along English. 10 percent of students can speak French along English and again 10 percent students can speak German as well as English. In 2010, 20 percent of students can speak another unknown languge and 15 percent students can speak two other languages along with English. Rest of other 35 percent students cannot speak other languages other than English.

As compare to 2000 in 2010, there are less students who can speak Spanish and the number of students who can speak French also decreases. While the percentage of students who can speak only English has increased to 5 percent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by selecting, reporting, and comparing the main features of the charts from 2000 and 2010. The overview elements are generally well-covered, noting the proportions for Spanish, French, German, and those with no other language. Key figures from the text, such as the 20 percent for Spanish in 2000 and the 35 percent for no other language in 2010, are accurately reported. The comparisons made at the end (e.g., 'As compare to 2000 in 2010, there are less students who can speak Spanish') capture the main trends effectively. However, the explanation remains somewhat mechanical and relies heavily on listing figures rather than fully synthesizing the data into deeper trends, placing it firmly at a Band 6.0 level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph-by-paragraph structure (introduction, body paragraph for 2000, body paragraph for 2010, and a concluding comparison). Progression is generally logical, moving clearly from the first year to the second and finally drawing comparisons. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or awkwardly handled, such as the repetitive use of 'In 2000' and 'In 2010' at the start of sentences, and phrasing like 'beside this' and 'Rest of other'. Paragraphing is used, but transitions between ideas lack sophistication. Referencing is mostly clear, though some sentence connections feel abrupt. These features align with a Band 6.0 score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'proportion', 'percentage', 'second language', and 'languages other than English'. However, there are frequent lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'first chat' instead of 'chart', 'pecent' instead of 'percent', 'two anothers languages', 'unknown language', and 'Engliah'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they restrict the lexical score to Band 5.5, as the attempts at less common vocabulary or precise phrasing are often marred by spelling and word-formation inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though simple structures predominate. There are several noticeable grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies (e.g., mixing present 'are able to speak' with past context), missing articles, and awkward phrasing such as 'As compare to' instead of 'Compared to'. Other errors include 'there are less students' (fewer students) and run-on structures. Although the meaning remains understandable and communication is not severely impeded, the frequency of errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band, making a Band 5.5 appropriate.

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

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