Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-13

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 pie charts illustrate the comparison of students who have grip on multiple languages along with English, in a university of England among two years (2000 and 2010).

Overall, In 2000 there were more students capable of speaking a language other than English either Spanish or French. On the other hand, In 2010 the percentages showed a decline in Spanish and French speakers. In contrast, the students who speak two other languages in addition to English were 5% increased from 10% to 15%. In addition, the number of both kinds of students, those who were unable to speak any other language and those who had known one another language were also increased 5%. However the ratio of German speakers was remained same in both years.

In conclusion, the number of Spanish speakers was 20% in 2000 that halved to 10% in 2010. And 15% French speakers were decreased to 10% in 2010.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes accurately: Spanish fell from 20% to 10%, French from 15% to 10%, two other languages rose from 10% to 15%, and German remained at 10%. You also note the increases in students speaking no other language and another language. This gives the response relevant coverage of both years. However, the overview is not fully clear: saying there were “more students” able to speak Spanish or French in 2000 does not clearly distinguish the categories or summarise the overall pattern. The conclusion repeats two figures rather than adding a broader comparison. To strengthen the report, state directly that the no-other-language group was the largest in both years and increased, while Spanish showed the sharpest decline.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction to an overview and then to a concluding comparison. Linking expressions such as “On the other hand,” “In contrast,” and “In addition” help signal relationships between points. However, the overview paragraph contains many separate comparisons in a sequence, so the main pattern is not easy to follow. The final paragraph repeats the Spanish and French figures already mentioned, rather than developing a new point. Capitalisation after commas (“In 2000,” “In 2010”) also interrupts the flow. Grouping the figures into increases, decreases, and unchanged categories, and using a concise overview followed by a data paragraph, would create clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentages,” “decline,” “increased,” and “speakers,” and the reader can generally understand the comparisons. However, several expressions are unnatural or imprecise for this task. “Have grip on multiple languages” is not an appropriate collocation, while “among two years” does not clearly express the time comparison. “Known one another language” is also unclear, and “the ratio of German speakers” is less suitable than language describing a proportion. These choices make parts of the report less precise, despite the relevant vocabulary. Aim for standard chart-reporting phrases such as “were able to speak,” “the proportion of students,” and “rose/fell from … to …” to improve accuracy and naturalness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including comparisons across years and a longer sentence beginning “In addition,” and the intended meaning is usually recoverable. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “the number of … students … were also increased” has problems with agreement and verb form; “was remained same” uses an incorrect passive construction; and “15% French speakers were decreased” does not form a correct comparison. The opening sentence also has an awkward structure that makes the relationship between the students, languages, and years unclear. Use direct active constructions, such as “The proportion of students speaking two other languages increased,” and check subject–verb agreement, articles, and past-tense forms. More consistently accurate complex sentences would improve control.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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