Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-01

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 compares the number of british students at one university in england who were able to communicate in other languages along with english in year 2000 and 2010

Overall the majority of british students were'nt able to communicate in other languages during both years followed by french only speakers at the 2nd postion while others remain inconsistent through out these years like German only and Two other languages

However in year 2000 majority was sticked with no other language other than english while the German speaker were 2nd biggest majority in the year showcasing about 20% of over all speakers followed by third leading majority of students with french as 2nd language and another language about 15% and some extra ordinary or rare students with 2 other languages along with them

Moreover in year 2010 the vast majority faced a strong surge reaching 5% increase of no other language speakers but the 2nd majority of 2000 Spanish and French speakers faced a decline in their terms both being consistent and the rare cases became slightly increased with 5% German speakers overall stayed consistent in this period with same amount

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the two years and give a relevant overall observation that “No other language” was the largest category in both charts. However, several key figures and comparisons are misreported, which limits how fully the charts are summarised. In 2000, Spanish—not German—was the second-largest category at 20%, while German was 10%; French and “Another language” were both 15%. In 2010, “No other language” rose from 30% to 35%, Spanish fell from 20% to 10%, and “Another language” and “Two other languages” increased by five points each. The claim that French speakers were the second-largest group in both years is inaccurate. Select the main changes and report each category precisely, avoiding unclear claims such as “rare cases.”

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate discussion of the two years. This gives the reader some organisation, and words such as “However” and “Moreover” signal transitions. Nevertheless, progression within the paragraphs is difficult to follow because categories are grouped inconsistently and comparisons are not clearly ordered. For example, the 2000 paragraph moves from German to French, “another language,” and “2 other languages” without a reliable ranking, while the final paragraph combines declines, increases, and a claim of consistency in one long sentence. Some linking expressions also do not express the relationship accurately. Group the figures by meaningful trends—such as categories that rose, fell, or stayed unchanged—and use clear references to the relevant year and category.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of vocabulary, including “majority,” “decline,” “surge,” and “consistent,” and the topic is generally recognisable. However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or unnatural, sometimes making the intended comparison unclear. Phrases such as “sticked with,” “2nd postion,” “vast majority faced a strong surge,” and “rare cases” do not describe chart data precisely. “German speaker” is also used where you mean the proportion of students in the German-only category. There are noticeable spelling and form errors, including “british,” “through out,” and “extra ordinary.” Use straightforward, accurate chart language—such as “accounted for,” “increased by,” “fell to,” and “remained unchanged”—rather than forcing elaborate expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, but control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence structure and agreement sometimes make the comparisons hard to interpret. The opening, “The pie charts compares,” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “who were able to communicate … in year 2000 and 2010” has an awkwardly formed time phrase. Several later sentences run together, particularly the final paragraph, where clauses about increases, declines, and consistency are joined without clear punctuation. There are also errors in articles and number, as in “the German speaker were 2nd biggest majority.” Aim for shorter, complete sentences with one clear comparison each, and check agreement, articles, and punctuation. This will make your range of sentence forms more controlled and easier to understand.

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