Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-31

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 pie charts compare information about british university that how many students were able to speak different languages other than English, in 2000 and 2010.

Overall, there are noticeable changes, Spanish and French are widely spoken languages as comapred to the others. However, significant number of students were unable to speak any language other than English.

In the year of 2000, 30 percent of students did not know any other language. Moreover, Spanish was the most commonly spoken language used by the pupils. French was known by 15 percent of students. In terms of German langauge, only 10 percent of student used it. Some students were able to speak more than one language and stood at 10 percent. Lastly, only 10 percent of pupils known another language.

On the other hand, in 2010, the number of students were increased who did not know any other language other than English. While French was widely spoken langauge among students and accounted for 20 percent. Furthermore, number of students decreased in this year who known spanish language and stood at 10 percent only. 20 percent of students were able to talk in another langauge while, 20 percent of students were able to speak more then one langauge.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the two years and report several relevant figures, including the rise in students speaking no other language from 30% to 35% and the fall in Spanish from 20% to 10%. However, some key data are inaccurate: French was 10% in 2010, not 20%, and speaking two other languages was 15%, not 20%. You also say Spanish and French were widely spoken overall, although Spanish declined and French did not increase. The overview therefore does not clearly capture the main pattern, and the account of the categories is incomplete or confused—for example, “another language” is reported as 10% in 2000, when it was 15%. Check each figure against the chart and summarise the main changes accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for 2000 and 2010. This makes the information reasonably easy to follow. You also use basic linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “On the other hand,” and “Furthermore.” However, some connections are mechanical or do not express the relationship precisely. “On the other hand” introduces the second year rather than a contrasting viewpoint, and “While” begins a fragment-like transition before the sentence about French. The overview also repeats the idea that students could not speak another language without clearly contrasting it with the categories that increased. Use more direct comparisons between years and ensure each linking phrase accurately signals the relationship between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “proportions,” “commonly spoken,” and “accounted for,” so the reader can generally understand what the charts describe. However, word choice and collocation are often imprecise or repetitive: “know any other language,” “used it,” and “talk in another language” are less suitable for reporting language ability. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “comapred,” “langauge,” and “spanish,” alongside repeated use of “students” and “language.” These issues limit precision, particularly when the categories need to be distinguished. Use consistent chart-reporting terms such as “could speak,” “spoke,” and “the proportion of students,” and proofread spelling and capitalization.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some complex sentence forms, such as “While French was widely spoken language among students…” and “Some students were able to speak more than one language and stood at 10 percent.” However, these attempts are often faulty, and errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction occur throughout. For example, “the number of students were increased” should use a singular subject and a suitable verb form, while “students who known Spanish” needs a correctly formed relative clause. The opening phrase “about british university that how many students…” is also difficult to follow grammatically. Most sentences rely on simple patterns, with limited accurate control of more complex structures. Practise forming clear comparisons and checking subject–verb agreement and tense.

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