Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-25

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)

The given circular charts illustrate the percentage of British students able to speak different other languages than English in 2000,along with in 2010.

Overall, it is evident that the proportion of British students who speak English was the highest in the given period;however, the student who speak German and two other language were the least.

To begin with,30 percent of British students who speak English in 2000,and a half 15 percent of students who speak french language rather than English in the same year.While a 20 percent of British students spoke spanish and the similar proportion 10 percent of students who speak German and two other language in 2000.

However,over a one third 35 percent of British students who speak no other language in 2010,followed by the same French only was 20 percent.Additionally,15 percent of students who were speak two other language in 2010.Moreover, Spanish,French and German languages spoke by British students were the same percent to 10 in 2010.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response identifies the charts’ subject and includes several relevant figures, such as 30% with no other language in 2000 and 35% in 2010. However, the overview is substantially inaccurate: it says students who speak English were the largest group, although the charts show the largest category was students with no other language, and it describes German and two other languages as the least common despite German being tied with two other languages in 2000 and with several categories in 2010. Some comparisons are also misreported: French was 10%, not 20%, in 2010. To improve, give an accurate overview of the main shifts and distinguish clearly between speaking English and speaking no other language besides English; then select and report the key category changes precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs, with time-based grouping that helps the reader follow the figures. Connectors such as “To begin with,” “However,” and “Additionally” also signal movement between points. However, progression is weakened by unclear references and some mechanical linking. For example, “the same French only was 20 percent” is difficult to interpret, and the final sentence repeats figures already mentioned without clearly relating them to the earlier comparison. Organise the body around the main categories or changes between years, and use explicit references such as “the proportion speaking French” so each comparison is easy to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses some task-relevant vocabulary, including “proportion,” “percentage,” “followed by,” and “illustrate,” and it attempts to describe categories and comparisons. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive, which sometimes makes the data difficult to understand. Phrases such as “speak different other languages than English,” “a half 15 percent,” and “the same French only” are not natural or precise. There is also inconsistent capitalisation of language names, including “french” and “spanish.” Use standard chart language such as “students who spoke no other language,” “accounted for,” and “the figure for French,” and check spelling and capitalisation of language names.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There are attempts to use both simple and more complex forms, including the overview clause beginning “Overall” and the time contrast introduced by “However.” Nevertheless, sentence control is inconsistent, and errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries frequently affect clarity. For example, “30 percent of British students who speak English in 2000” is not a complete sentence, while “students who were speak” uses an incorrect verb form. The opening also has a comma splice-like construction and awkward punctuation around “2000,along.” Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, use past tense consistently for the chart years, and check singular/plural agreement and punctuation.

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