Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-16

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 5.0)

The chart below illustrate the proportions of British student at one university in England who were able to speak other languages in addition to English, in 2000 and 2010. Overall, the proportions of students who could not speak any other languages decreased over the period, while the percentage of those who could speak another languages generally increased. Spanish remained a popular foriegn languages among students. In 2000, 30% of students could speak English, making this the largest category. Spanish was the most popular additional languages, accounting for 20% of students. French and another languages each represented 15%, while 10% of students could speak only German. The remaining 10% were able to speak two other languages. By 2010, the percentages of students who spoke only English had fallen to 10%. In conclusion, the charts show that students became more multilingual between 2000 and 2010, with Spanish becoming increasingly popular and fawer speaking only English.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the two years and give an overview of the broad change, but the report does not adequately cover the charts. The overview says students became more multilingual, yet the figures show the opposite for the largest group: those speaking no other language rose from 30% to 35%. Spanish fell from 20% to 10%, rather than becoming increasingly popular. Most importantly, the 2010 account is largely missing: it says only that the English-only figure fell to 10%, which is not the chart’s value. The response also confuses the 2000 no-other-language group with students who “could speak English.” It is 17 words below the 150-word minimum, with 20 prompt words excluded from the count. Report the main 2010 categories and compare the key changes accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph about 2000, and a concluding sentence. This gives the reader some organisation, and time markers such as “In 2000” and “By 2010” help signal the comparison. However, progression is limited because nearly all the detailed information concerns 2000, while the 2010 paragraph contains only one figure. The conclusion repeats the overview rather than adding a useful comparison, and “In conclusion” is not needed for a chart summary. Cohesive links are basic and sometimes make the account feel like a list. Organise the body by comparing categories across both years, using clear links such as “whereas” and “by contrast” to show the changes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportions,” “accounting for,” “represented,” and “percentage,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, word choice and forms are often inaccurate or repetitive: “a popular foriegn languages” is not a natural phrase, “another languages” is incorrect, and “fawer” is misspelled. “Could speak English” is also imprecise for the category labelled “No Other Language,” which means students spoke no language besides English. Repeating “students” and “languages” limits the range, while “In conclusion” adds little. Aim for accurate, concise expressions such as “spoke no other language,” “the share rose,” and “the proportion fell,” and check spelling and singular/plural forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including the overview clause beginning “while” and the sentence using “accounting for.” Most sentences remain understandable, but errors in agreement and number are noticeable: “The chart below illustrate” needs a plural subject or singular verb, and “British student” and “additional languages” do not consistently match their intended number. The phrase “a popular foreign languages” also has an article–noun number mismatch. These errors do not usually prevent understanding, but they reduce accuracy. There is also limited structural variety, with much of the report relying on short statements. Practise checking subject–verb agreement, articles, and singular/plural forms, then use a few accurate comparative clauses to express changes between the years.

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