Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-02
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 illustrate the comparison of 2000 and 2010. In this pie chart the percentage of British students' languages of a university in England was different in given years. These students can speak other languages as well as English.
Overall, it can be clearly seen that in 2000, the percentage of the students who can speak no other language except English was maximum. Similarly in 2010, the pupils who can only speak English have higher proportion than all other languages such as Spanish, French, German, Another language, Two other languages and No other language.
On the one hand, students who know two other languages excluding English have 10% ratio. Pupils who know English and French & English and One other language were with the same ratio of 15%. Furthermore,Spanish and English spoken students have 20%, German and English spoken have 10% ratio, and students with No other language have 30% ratio.
On the other hand, in 2010 the proportion of students who only know Two other languages and English have 15% ratio. In addition, 35% British students were able to speak English only. 10% students were able to speak Spanish and 10% were able to speak French as well. Moreover, the students who can speak English and German only have 10% ratio. Percentage of British students able to speak English and Another language was 20%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt only partially. While the main data points from both charts are identified, the overview is weak and repetitive, failing to properly synthesise the main trends, such as the overall rise in students speaking no other language alongside the growing popularity of speaking an additional language. Furthermore, the information is sometimes mechanical and lacks a fully developed comparative perspective between 2000 and 2010. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to present a clearer, more holistic overview that highlights the most significant overall changes and supports them with more precise, well-selected data comparisons rather than listing categories in isolation.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is some basic organisation with separate paragraphs for the introduction, overview, and body details, but the response lacks a clear overall progression. Cohesive devices are sometimes used mechanically or inaccurately, such as the transition phrases 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand', which are incorrectly applied here since the charts are not presenting opposing arguments. Referencing is also occasionally repetitive, making the logical flow somewhat clunky. To improve, the writer should ensure that cohesive markers accurately reflect logical relationships between ideas and that paragraphs flow smoothly from general trends to specific details without abrupt shifts.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The lexical range is limited but minimally adequate to convey basic information. The writer attempts some topic-specific vocabulary related to languages and percentages, but there are noticeable errors in word choice and expression, such as 'percentage of British students' languages' and 'Spanish and English spoken students'. Repetition of basic structures like 'ratio' and 'proportion' also constrains the vocabulary. To achieve a higher band, the writer should use a wider variety of precise synonyms and collocation patterns, such as 'proportion' or 'percentage', and integrate less common lexical items more accurately to describe statistical data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response employs a limited range of sentence structures, and attempts at complex forms often result in awkward phrasing or errors, such as 'the pupils who can only speak English have higher proportion' (missing articles) and 'students who know English and French & English and One other language were with the same ratio'. Frequent errors in prepositions, article usage, and subject-verb agreement are present throughout the text, occasionally causing difficulty for the reader. To progress, the writer must focus on increasing grammatical accuracy in complex sentences and ensuring consistent control over basic grammar conventions like articles and plurals.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.