Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-15

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 charts illustrates the percentages of British students who were able to speak other languages in addition to English at one university in England, in 2000 and 2010.

Overall, majority of students spoke no other language. The proportion for Spanish language remained same for both years. The other

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the topic and gives an overview, noting that “majority of students spoke no other language.” However, this is the only clear trend reported, and the claim that the Spanish proportion “remained same” is inaccurate: it fell from 20% in 2000 to 10% in 2010. The response ends mid-sentence (“The other”), so it provides no meaningful comparisons across the remaining categories and does not adequately summarise the charts. It also contains only 38 words, well below the required 150; this leaves the task substantially incomplete. To improve, report the main changes accurately, including the rise in students speaking another language or two other languages, and compare the categories with relevant figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence introduces the charts, followed by an overview beginning “Overall.” This gives the short text a recognisable starting structure. However, the response stops at “The other,” leaving an unfinished thought and preventing any logical development or conclusion. With only two complete sentences, there is little progression between the chart information, and the reader cannot follow comparisons or see how the details relate to the overview. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and key comparisons, and connect the figures with clear sequencing such as “by contrast” or “while.” Complete each sentence and ensure the report moves from the main trends to supporting details.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to identify the subject, with phrases such as “percentages of British students,” “other languages in addition to English,” and “proportion.” These choices are relevant and generally understandable. However, the range is very limited because the response is extremely short, and some phrasing is imprecise: “The proportion for Spanish language” is less natural than a direct reference to the share of students speaking Spanish. “The other” is also incomplete and does not communicate a specific category or trend. To strengthen the report, use accurate chart language such as “accounted for,” “increased,” “declined,” and “remained unchanged,” while naming the relevant language groups. Check that each phrase is complete and clearly expresses the intended comparison.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response shows some control of basic sentence forms, including a complex opening with the phrase “who were able to speak other languages in addition to English.” The main grammatical issue is subject–verb agreement: “The pie charts illustrates” should be “The pie charts illustrate.” The phrase “Overall, majority of students” also needs a determiner, as in “the majority of students.” In “The proportion for Spanish language remained same,” the construction is incomplete without “the” before “same.” The final fragment, “The other,” is not a complete sentence. Because the response contains so little writing, it does not demonstrate a broad range of structures or sustained accuracy. Practise checking agreement, articles, and sentence completion.

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

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