Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-14

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 chart illustrates the percentage of British students who can communicate in other languages in addition to English in one university of England in 2000 and 2010.

Overall, The students who can only speak English are the most numerous in both years 2000 and 2010. German speakers holds the same position as in 2000 and in 2010. Spanish and French speaking stundents number goes down while the numbero of students who spoke any other languanges rather than French, Spanish and German grew.

Students who can only communicate in English rise by 5%. In 2000 there are 30% of stundents who can only speak english and in 2010 they grew to 35%. In 2000, stundents who can speak spanish and french in addition to english were reduced in 2010. On the other hand, students who spoke german remain the same by covering 10% of the total.

Students who can speak any one or more other langauges rather than Spanish, German, and French were in 2000 rose by 5% of their percentage in 2010 .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall pattern: the share speaking only English rises, German remains unchanged, and the Spanish and French categories decline while other-language categories grow. Several figures are also reported accurately, including 30% to 35% for no other language and 10% for German in both years. However, the comparison of Spanish and French is not quantified, and the final sentence is unclear about which categories increased and by how much. The overview also says English-only students are “the most numerous,” but this overlooks that the 2010 figure for no other language is 35%, while the largest individual additional-language category in 2000 is Spanish at 20%. Select and compare the key categories more precisely, including the changes from 2000 to 2010.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, and it uses basic links such as “On the other hand.” This gives the reader some sense of how the information is organised. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is uneven: the second paragraph repeats the English-only and German figures, while the final paragraph introduces a broad comparison without clearly identifying its categories. Phrases such as “In 2000… were reduced in 2010” also make the relationship between the years difficult to follow. Group the categories systematically—for example, declining, unchanged and increasing—and use clear references to each year so that comparisons are easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “percentage,” “speakers,” “rise,” “remain the same” and “in addition to English,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and some expressions are imprecise or awkward, such as “holds the same position,” “grew to 35%” and “any one or more other langauges.” Repeated use of “students who can speak” also makes the description less concise. There are noticeable spelling errors, including “stundents,” “numbero” and “langauges,” which reduce accuracy and polish. Practise using precise reporting verbs and category labels, and proofread spelling. For example, describe a proportion as “increased to” a figure and use “remained unchanged” for a stable category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the main message can usually be understood. However, errors are frequent, and some sentence patterns are difficult to follow. For example, “German speakers holds the same position” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “Students who can speak any one or more other languages … were in 2000 rose” combines incompatible verb structures. Tense and sentence construction are also inconsistent in “In 2000 there are 30% … and in 2010 they grew to 35%.” Use past forms consistently when describing the chart, and build comparisons with a clear subject and verb, such as “The proportion rose from 30% in 2000 to 35% in 2010.” Check agreement and punctuation when editing.

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