Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-29

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)

This is pie chart depicts the proportions of British students of one of university in England who were able to speak languages other than English.

There is minimal decrease in number of students who are unable to speak any other language other than English from 2000 to 2010. Trend of only Spanish and French decreased significantly with time , from 20% and 15% respectively to 10% each.

In contrast to 2000, there is collectively 10% uprise in the percentage of other languages in 2010. Among those 10%, 5% have ability to speak two other languages while 5% know another language. Meanwhile set of students with only German speaking skills remained unchanged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several important changes accurately: Spanish falls from 20% to 10%, French from 15% to 10%, German remains at 10%, and the two “other” categories rise by five percentage points each. However, the overview is limited, and the statement that there is a “minimal decrease” in students speaking no other language is incorrect: this share increases from 30% to 35%. The response also does not clearly compare all the main categories or give a complete overview of the charts. It is 103 words, below the required 150, which limits how fully you can report and compare the information. Develop the overview and include the key figures for the no-other-language group and both years’ category totals accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information is arranged in a generally understandable sequence: you first mention the overall subject, then describe decreases, increases and the unchanged German figure. Linking phrases such as “In contrast” and “Meanwhile” help signal these comparisons. However, the response is very brief and has no clear paragraphing to distinguish an overview from detailed comparisons. Some connections are also unclear: “In contrast to 2000” does not specify which figures are being contrasted, and “Among those 10%” makes the reference difficult to follow. Organise the response into an introduction, a concise overview and a detail paragraph, and use explicit references to the categories and years so the progression is clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “proportions,” “percentage,” “decreased,” and “remained unchanged,” so the reader can understand the main comparisons. There are also attempts at less common wording, but some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “minimal decrease,” “10% uprise,” and “only German speaking skills.” “Trend of only Spanish and French decreased” is also an awkward way to describe the data. These choices reduce precision, particularly when reporting changes. Prefer standard chart language such as “the proportion rose,” “the share increased by five percentage points,” and “students who spoke German only.” More precise category labels would also help distinguish “another language” from “two other languages.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes a mixture of simple statements and some attempts to connect ideas, for example, “Meanwhile set of students with only German speaking skills remained unchanged.” The main comparisons are usually understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. The opening is missing an article and has an incorrect construction: “This is pie chart depicts” should be “This pie chart depicts.” In “There is minimal decrease in number,” articles are missing, while “Trend of only Spanish and French decreased” has an unclear subject and structure. There are also punctuation and spacing issues, including a space before the comma after “time.” Use complete, carefully formed sentences and check articles, sentence subjects and punctuation; this will make your comparisons easier to follow.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.