Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-26
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 given pie charts illustrates the data in which proportions of students is given who can speak efficiently languages other than English in the given years (2000 and 2010) in the England. The unit of measurement used for this comparison is percentage.
Overall, 'No other language' takes large portion (around one third) in pie chart as compare to all given languages over the given period. And values of almost all the other given languages fluctuate slightly except 'Another language' portion and 'Two other language' sides.
To begin with, Spanish and French languages accounted for 20% and 15% in pie chart in 2000, in comparison to this, 10% and 10% (same in both languages) in 2010 which mean these languages showed a decline in number of student in a decade. On the other hand, the percentage of students who could speak 'Two other languages' remained same in the given ten year period as 10%. While, the 'German language' and 'Another language' showed a slight change in data, German 10% and Another language 15% in 2000 as compare to German 15% and 20% of Another language in 2010.
In terms of 'No other language', it is accounted for almost a significant share of the pie graph in both years. In 2000, it occupied the percentile value of 30% in pie chart in contrast to 2010 which depicted a substantial rise in this value around 35%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student covers all the key parts of the task by reporting the main features of the charts for both 2000 and 2010. An overview is provided, noting that 'No other language' was the largest category and mentioning general trends. However, there are some data inaccuracies: the student states that the percentage of students speaking 'Two other languages' remained the same at 10%, whereas the chart shows an increase from 10% to 15%. Similarly, German is stated as 10% in 2000 and 15% in 2010, but the charts label 'German only' as 10% in both years (while German speakers may be embedded elsewhere, the direct label 'German only' is constant). Despite these misinterpretations of specific data points, the overall trends and comparisons are generally handled. Band score: 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response is arranged coherently with a clear overall progression. Paragraphing is used appropriately, dividing the introduction, overview, and body paragraphs effectively. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Overall', 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'In terms of', which help structure the essay. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally mechanical or clumsy, as seen in phrases like 'takes large portion' and 'in comparison to this, 10% and 10%'. Overall arrangement is logical, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6. Band score: 6.5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'proportions', 'fluctuate slightly', 'substantial rise', and 'percentile value'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'takes large portion' instead of 'takes up a large proportion', 'in the England', and 'number of student' (singular instead of plural). Spelling is generally fine, but lexical control is inconsistent. Band score: 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though complex structures often contain grammatical errors. Examples of errors include subject-verb agreement issues ('The given pie charts illustrates'), missing articles ('in the England'), and awkward phrasing ('which mean these languages showed a decline'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but frequent minor grammatical inaccuracies persist and occasionally cause slight strain for the reader, fitting the Band 5.5 to 6 descriptors well. Band score: 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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