Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-21

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 given chart shows the proportions of British students at a university in England who were able to speak other languages other than English, in the years 2000 and 2010. If we analyze the chart of the year 2000, it gives us the proportions of different languages that were spoken other than English. The most prominent language in the chart is Spanish with percentage of the students being 20% followed by French having 15%, other languages having 15% as well as German and two other languages having 10% of speakers each. On the other hand, the chart of 2010 has some noticable differences with percentage of Spanish and French speakers dropping down by 5% and 10% respectively. However, the percentage of speakers of other languages increased from 10% to 15% and a slight change in no other languages as well. But the German speakers comparitively remained the same in number.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify several relevant figures, including Spanish at 20% and French at 15% in 2000, and note that German remains unchanged. However, key information is missing or inaccurate: in 2010, Spanish falls to 10% (a 10-point drop, not 5), French falls to 10% (a 5-point drop, not 10), and “other languages” rises from 15% to 20%, not from 10% to 15%. The change in students speaking no other language is also vague; it rises from 30% to 35%. There is no clear overview of the main pattern, and the response is below the required 150 words, with 140 words counted after excluding copied prompt text. Add a concise overview and report the main comparisons accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response follows a basic chronological order, first describing 2000 and then comparing it with 2010. Phrases such as “On the other hand” and “However” help signal contrast, so the reader can follow the general direction of the account. However, the information is compressed into one paragraph, and there is no distinct overview to guide the reader through the main trends. Some links are also unclear: “a slight change in no other languages” does not specify the direction or size of the change, while “other languages” is used ambiguously for different chart categories. Organise the response into an introduction, an overview, and a comparison paragraph, using precise references to each category.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some suitable chart vocabulary, including “proportions,” “percentage,” “dropping,” and “remained the same,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There is some repetition of “percentage” and “speakers,” however, and several expressions are imprecise or unnatural for describing data. For example, “the most prominent language” is less suitable than “the largest proportion,” and “other languages” does not clearly distinguish the chart’s “another language” category from “two other languages.” Spelling errors such as “noticable” and “comparitively” also reduce accuracy. Use the chart’s category labels consistently and vary your reporting verbs and comparison phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including the contrast introduced by “However,” and most of the message remains understandable. There are recurring problems with sentence construction and grammatical forms. For instance, “with percentage of the students being 20%” needs an article and a more natural structure, such as “accounting for 20% of students.” The phrase “other languages other than English” is redundant, and “German and two other languages having 10% of speakers each” is an awkward, incomplete construction. The final sentence, “remained the same in number,” also does not fit percentage data well. Practise complete, controlled comparison sentences and check articles, parallel structure, and phrasing.

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

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