Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-23

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 chart shows the percentage of british students and one english universuty wo could speak languages other then english in 2000. In 2000, thirty percent of students could not speak any other languages. This was tha largest group. 20% of students could speak only spanish. 50% percent of students could speak only sapanish and other language.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify one relevant feature: in 2000, 30% of students spoke no other language, and you correctly call this the largest group. However, the response covers only 2000 and omits the 2010 chart entirely, so it does not compare the two years or provide a meaningful overview of the main changes. The statement that “50%” could speak “only spanish and other language” is unclear and does not accurately report a chart category: Spanish only was 20%, while another language was 15%. The response is also substantially below the required 150 words, leaving most key information unreported. To improve, summarise both years, select the main increases and decreases, and support them with accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The ideas follow a basic sequence: you introduce the chart, report the largest group, and then add another figure. This gives the short response some simple progression, and phrases such as “In 2000” help signal the time reference. However, there is no paragraphing or clear overview, and the response ends without bringing the information together. The final sentence is difficult to follow because “only spanish and other language” does not make clear whether you mean two separate categories or a combined group. Organise the report into an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph comparing the details for both years; use clear links such as “by contrast” or “while” to show changes.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use a small set of relevant terms, including “percentage,” “students,” “speak,” and “largest group,” so the basic topic is understandable. However, the vocabulary is limited and some choices are inaccurate or unclear for describing the chart. “Only spanish and other language” does not identify a valid category, and “could not speak any other languages” would be clearer as “spoke no other language.” There are also spelling and capitalisation errors in “british,” “universuty,” “sapanish,” and “english.” Use the chart’s category labels consistently, such as “Spanish only,” “another language,” and “two other languages,” and check spelling and proper nouns before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response uses simple sentence patterns that communicate some basic information, for example, “This was the largest group.” The past-tense form “could speak” is also used consistently in the reported figures. However, the range is very narrow, with little sentence variety or use of comparison structures. In “The pie chart shows the percentage of british students and one english universuty wo could speak…,” the sentence structure is faulty: students are not “and” a university, and the relative clause is not formed correctly. The final sentence also lacks a clear grammatical relationship between its categories. Practise accurate structures such as “The chart shows the proportions of students who could speak…” and “Spanish-only speakers fell from 20% to 10%.”

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

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