Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-05
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 4.5)
This given picture illustrates the British students at one university in England who spoke some other languages as well as English. The picture describes the proportions of students how effect of one decade from 2000 to 2010.
Overall, one hundred British students who are added to this list by comparing and showing who speak only one language, some other language, and two other spoken language stuudents are able to speak more than one language.
Students who don't speak any other language are increased by comparing 2000 to 2010. Spanish-only and French-only-speaking students decreased in that decade, while German-speaking students remained the same as in 2000 and 2010.
In the last section of this diagram, students who are able to speak two other languages and one other as well as English fluctuate of five students, both of them.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement, containing only 129 words (with 8 words copied directly from the prompt not counted), which significantly impacts the development of the task. The summary is minimal and tangential in places. While the student attempts to report some general trends, such as the increase in students with 'No other language' and the decrease in Spanish-only and French-only speakers, key data points are either omitted or inaccurately described. Furthermore, the overview is confused and fails to clearly outline the overall main trends shown in the charts. To reach a higher band, the response must meet the word count requirement, accurately report specific percentages from the visual data, and provide a clear, coherent overview of the main features.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text demonstrates some basic organisation, dividing the content into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. However, there is no clear overall progression, and the logical flow is disrupted by confusing expressions such as 'In the last section of this diagram'. Cohesive devices are either missing or used awkwardly, and referencing is frequently unclear, as seen in vague phrases like 'both of them'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks logical cohesion. To improve Coherence and Cohesion, the writer needs to ensure that ideas are linked smoothly with appropriate cohesive markers, that referencing is precise, and that each paragraph focuses on a well-organised, distinct set of related points.
Lexical Resource: Band 4.5
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, heavily relying on lifted terms from the prompt and simple descriptive words. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'how effect of one decade' and 'two other spoken language stuudents', which occasionally cause strain for the reader. The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate, lacking the precision and flexibility required to discuss statistical charts effectively. To achieve a higher score, the student must expand their lexical range to include precise terminology for describing data and trends, such as 'proportion', 'fluctuate', 'remain stable', and 'decline', while avoiding spelling mistakes and unnatural collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The grammatical range is very limited, consisting mostly of simple and attempted complex sentences that contain frequent errors. There are notable issues with verb tenses, voice, and prepositions within grammatical structures, such as 'British students... who spoke... how effect of one decade', 'students who don't speak... are increased', and 'fluctuate of five students'. These frequent errors often cause difficulty for the reader and distort meaning. To progress to a higher band, the writer must demonstrate better control over basic sentence structures, improve subject-verb agreement, use correct passive and active voice forms when reporting data, and reduce the frequency of grammatical errors across the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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