Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-07

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 chart focuses on proportions of British students at a university in England who were able to speak multiple languages in 2000 and 2010. One pie chart provides data for the year 2000 while the other one gives information about year 2010.

Overall, it can be clearly seen that major percentage of university students were unable to speak any language apart from English during the years 2000 and 2010

From the first pie chart, it is demonstrated that the spanish language was the most spoken foreign language as 20% British students were able to speak it in the year 2000. About 15% of students had ability to speak French only or another language that year. While, the smallest proportion of students were able to communicate in German only or two other languages in the year 2000

The second shows the similar data for the year 2010 in 20% of students were able to speak in a language other than French, German or Spanish. A decline of 25 to 50 percent can be seen in a percentage of students who were able to speak these three languages

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the two years and give a relevant overall feature: students speaking no language other than English formed the largest group in both years. You also report several 2000 figures accurately, including Spanish at 20% and French and another language at 15%. However, the response only partially covers the charts. The 2010 account is incomplete, and the statement that there was “a decline of 25 to 50 percent” for the three named languages is unclear and inaccurate: Spanish fell from 20% to 10%, French from 15% to 10%, while German remained at 10%. The overview also omits the rise in “another language” and in speaking two other languages. Select the main changes and compare the figures precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic, sensible structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for 2000 and 2010. This helps the reader follow the intended comparison. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph combines several points without explaining their relationships, and it ends abruptly without a clear summary of the 2010 data. Some linking is awkward or incomplete, as in “While, the smallest proportion…” and “in 20% of students…”. Use clearer transitions to compare years and group related figures—for example, describe the decreases in Spanish and French alongside the unchanged German figure, then note the increases in the other categories. This would make the organisation more coherent and the comparisons easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportions,” “decline,” “smallest proportion,” and “able to speak,” and the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or repetitive. “Multiple languages” does not accurately describe all categories, since some students spoke only one additional language, while “the spanish language” and “communicate in German” are less natural in this context. The phrase “a decline of 25 to 50 percent” is also not a clear way to report the specific changes shown. Aim for precise terms such as “share,” “category,” “rose,” and “fell from … to …”, and use the chart labels consistently when naming language groups.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, and most of the intended meaning can be understood. However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical patterns are noticeable. For example, “About 15% of students had ability to speak French only or another language that year” needs an article (“the ability”), while “The second shows the similar data … in 20% of students” is not a complete, well-formed comparison. The fragment beginning “While, the smallest proportion…” also needs to be joined to a main clause, and the comma after “While” is unnecessary. Practise building complete comparison sentences with accurate clauses, articles, and prepositions, and check punctuation so that each sentence expresses one clear relationship.

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