Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 illustrate the proportion of various languages rather than English were spoken by British graduates in 2000 and after a decade.

Overall, it is clear that percentage of another language, two other languages, and no other languages dramatically increased throughout the period. However, minimum students were noticed in Spanish language after a decade. Nevertheless, the ratio of German language was stabled in both years.

In 2000, the number of British students were observed in no other languages, which was less than a third. While, British graduates were interested in French and another language, and the percentage was 15% respectively. Lastly, one in ten percent of students were able to spoken German and two other languages.

In 2010, the number of British students slightly increased in no other languages, two other languages, and another language, which increased 5% as compared to the past. Meanwhile, the ratio of British pupils was decreased in Spanish and French, which was merely 10%. In the end, the ratio was maintained in German language, which was spoken by British candidates.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the two years and report several relevant changes, including the rise in “no other languages” from 30% to 35%, the increase in “another language” and “two other languages” by five percentage points, and the stable German figure. However, the overview is not fully accurate: Spanish did not become the smallest category in 2010, as “two other languages” was 15% while Spanish was 10%; French was also 10%. The claim that these three categories “dramatically increased” overstates modest changes and incorrectly includes the category that declined. Some details are also unclear, such as “less than a third” for 30%. Select the main trends more precisely and compare the figures directly to make the summary more complete and reliable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for 2000 and 2010. This makes the information easy to follow at a basic level, and time markers such as “In 2000” and “In 2010” help organise the comparisons. However, some linking is mechanical or awkward. “While” begins a fragment-like sentence, and “Nevertheless” does not express a clear contrast with the preceding point about increases. The repeated pattern “the ratio/number …” also makes the progression feel list-like. Grouping the categories that rose, fell, or stayed unchanged, and using clearer links such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile,” would create a more connected comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “increased,” “decreased,” and “maintained,” so the topic is generally clear. There is also some attempt to vary wording with “graduates,” “pupils,” and “candidates.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this chart: “British graduates” and “British candidates” do not match the task’s description of students, while “interested in French” suggests preference rather than language ability. Phrases such as “minimum students were noticed” and “one in ten percent” are difficult to interpret. Aim for precise, natural collocations and use the chart’s category labels consistently; this will make your comparisons clearer without relying on awkward synonyms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses beginning with “which” and “while.” However, errors in sentence structure and basic forms are frequent enough to make some statements difficult to read. For example, “the proportion … were spoken” has faulty agreement and structure; “the number … were observed” also mismatches subject and verb. “One in ten percent of students were able to spoken” combines an incorrect quantity expression with an incorrect verb form. The sentence beginning “While, British graduates…” is not a complete, well-formed clause, and “the ratio … was stabled” uses an incorrect form. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement, articles, and verb patterns, then check each sentence for a complete main clause.

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