Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Across both the years, the proportion of students speaking languages other than English seems to vary. However, one significant observation is that in 2000 and in 2010, the largest proportion comprises of students who do not speak any other language apart from English. In 2000, people speaking only enlgish were 30% (the largest share) and in 2010, the proportion increased by 5% (still the largest share). Also, the share of people speaking German only remains the same throughout the years. The figure shows that in 2000, there were 10% of people who spoke German only and even in 2010, only 10% people spoke German only. Interestingly, across both the years, the difference between the share of people speaking all mentioned languages, other than Spanish, changed by 5%. In 2000, people speaking Spanish comprised of 20% and in 2010, their proportion decreased to 10%. Other than this, in 2000, people speaking French were 15% of the total wheras in 2010, it decreased to 10%. People who spoke any other language apart from Spanish, French, German or English were 15% in 2000 whereas it increased to 20% in 2010. Lastly, people who spoke two other languages comprised of 10% in 2000 and increased to 15% in 2010. This shows that the variation across both theyears is not very significant as the certain language spokers changed by 5-10%, with Gneram remaining the same and English spokers dominating across both the years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several key features accurately: students speaking no other language form the largest group in both years, rising from 30% to 35%, while German-only speakers remain at 10%. You also report the changes for Spanish, French, another language and two other languages correctly. However, the overview is weakened by the claim that the variation is “not very significant,” which is vague and does not clearly summarise the contrasting trends: Spanish and French declined, while the other-language categories increased. The phrase “difference between the share of people speaking all mentioned languages, other than Spanish, changed by 5%” is unclear and does not describe a meaningful comparison. A more focused overview and clearer grouping of the main changes would make the response more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response follows a generally understandable order, moving from the largest category and German to the remaining language groups, and it uses linking expressions such as “Also,” “Interestingly” and “Lastly.” However, it is presented as one long paragraph, so the overview and supporting details are not clearly separated. Some transitions do not show the relationship between ideas: “Other than this” introduces another data point without a clear contrast, and the sentence about the “difference” between language groups interrupts the sequence. Repeatedly beginning with “In 2000” and “in 2010” also makes the progression feel list-like. Organise the response into an overview followed by two comparison paragraphs, grouping categories that rose together and those that fell or stayed unchanged.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportion,” “share,” “comprised” and “increased,” and the reader can generally understand the comparisons. However, the range is limited by repeated phrases such as “people speaking” and “the proportion,” and some choices are inaccurate or awkward for this chart. “English speakers dominating” is misleading because the largest category is students who speak no other language, rather than a separate English-speaking group. “All mentioned languages” is also unclear, while “language spokers” and “Gneram” contain spelling errors. Aim for more precise terms such as “students who spoke only English” and “the category for two additional languages,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes some complex sentence forms, for example, “In 2000, people speaking Spanish comprised of 20% and in 2010, their proportion decreased to 10%,” and most of the intended comparisons remain understandable. However, sentence structures are often repetitive, and several grammatical patterns are inaccurate. “The largest proportion comprises of students” uses an incorrect verb construction; “there were 10% of people” is an awkward existential structure; and “10% people spoke German” is missing a determiner such as “of.” The final sentence is also difficult to follow because its clauses are joined without clear grammatical control. Practise concise comparison structures, such as “The figure for German remained at 10%,” and check agreement, articles and clause boundaries.

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

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