Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-08
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 4.0)
The pie chart illustrate the percentages of British students at one university in England who were able to speak other languages in addition to English, 2000 between 2010.
Overall, the proportion of students who were able to speak at least one other language increased over the period. Spanish became the most popular additional language in 2010, while the percentage of students who could not speak another language fell significantly.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0
You identify the topic and provide an overview, noting that the share speaking at least one other language increased and that the proportion speaking none fell. However, the overview misstates the chart: Spanish was not the most popular additional language in 2010; “another language” was higher at 20%, compared with Spanish at 10%. The response also gives no supporting figures or comparisons for the six categories, so it reports only a small part of the information. The required minimum of 150 words is not met: the response contains 50 words, 100 short, and 19 words copied from the prompt were excluded from the count. To improve, describe the main changes with accurate figures and include comparisons across both years.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
The response has a basic, understandable structure: an opening sentence is followed by an overview introduced with “Overall.” This gives the reader a clear starting point, and the ideas are broadly related to the task. However, the response ends after the overview, with no organised details paragraph to develop the comparisons. As a result, progression is very limited and the chart information is not grouped or connected. The opening also contains an unclear time expression, which makes the relationship between the years harder to follow. Build a fuller sequence by introducing the charts, summarising the main trends, then grouping and comparing the category figures using clear links such as “by contrast” and “whereas.”
Lexical Resource: Band 4.5
You use relevant vocabulary for describing the subject, including “percentages,” “proportion,” “speak,” and “additional language.” These choices make the general topic clear, and “increased over the period” is an appropriate trend phrase. However, the range is narrow because the response is very short and does not describe individual categories or changes in detail. Some wording is inaccurate or awkward: “most popular” suggests a ranking that the chart does not support, while “other languages in addition to English” is repeated from the task rather than developed with more precise terms. Use chart-specific language such as “share,” “category,” “accounted for,” and “rose from … to …” to report the data accurately and avoid unsupported descriptions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The response includes a simple opening statement and a more developed overview sentence, with generally understandable meaning. However, grammatical control is weakened by errors in the first sentence: “The pie chart illustrate” has incorrect subject–verb agreement, and “2000 between 2010” does not express the time period correctly. The opening also lacks a clear grammatical connection between the years and the chart description. The remaining sentences are more controlled, but the short response offers little evidence of varied sentence structures. Check singular subjects and verb forms, and use a clear time phrase such as “in 2000 and 2010” or “between 2000 and 2010.” Include accurate comparative sentences to demonstrate a wider range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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