Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-02

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 charts below provides the percentage of British students at one university in England who were speaking several other languages including English, in 2000 and 2010.

In 2000, Spanish was the most popular foreign language, accounting for 20% of British students, followed by French and another language, at 15% each. Meanwhile, German and two other languages were spoken by 10% of students respectively. Notably, 30% of students were unable to speak any language other than English.

In 2010, the proportion of students who spoke Spanish and French decreased to 10% each, while the figure for German remained unchanged at 10%. By contrast, highest number of students does not able to speak other languages and it is increased about 5% in 2010. Students who speak another

Language is rose from 15% to 20% and those who speak two other languages increased from 10% to 15%.

Overall, there is number of British students does not able to speak other languages and increased proportion from 30% to 35% over the period, although spanish and french speakers are fell aout 5% in french and 10% in Spanish. Additionally, other two languages can increased its proportion in 2010.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You report the main categories for both years and identify several accurate changes: Spanish falls from 20% to 10%, French from 15% to 10%, while “another language” and “two other languages” rise. You also note that the no-other-language group is the largest in 2010. However, some comparisons are incomplete or unclear: the overview repeats the rise from 30% to 35% without clearly summarising the overall pattern, and “although spanish and french speakers are fell aout 5% in french and 10% in Spanish” misstates the size of the decreases. The chart shows falls of five percentage points for French and ten for Spanish. A clearer overview and more precise reporting of these changes would make the response more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable structure: it describes 2000, then 2010, and ends with an overall statement. This gives the reader a basic progression through the charts, and linking expressions such as “Meanwhile” and “By contrast” help signal comparisons. However, the final paragraph largely repeats information already given, and some connections between ideas are awkward. For example, “By contrast, highest number of students…” does not clearly connect the unchanged German figure to the largest category. The line break within “another / Language” also interrupts the flow. Organise the overview separately and group related increases and decreases together; use linking phrases to clarify the comparison rather than repeat figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “accounting for,” “proportion,” “remained unchanged,” and “increased,” so the meaning is usually clear. There is also some variety in how you describe the data. However, several word choices and forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “speaking several other languages including English,” “students who speak another Language is rose,” and “other two languages can increased its proportion.” “Unable to speak” is also less precise than “spoke no other language,” since the chart reports language ability rather than inability. Spelling and capitalisation slips, including “spanish” and “aout,” further reduce accuracy. Aim for consistent, precise chart language and check word forms and spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, and some sentences communicate the data clearly, such as “Spanish was the most popular foreign language, accounting for 20%.” However, errors in agreement, verb forms, and sentence construction recur and sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “The charts below provides,” “By contrast, highest number of students does not able,” and “there is number of British students does not able … and increased.” The sentence about students speaking another language also combines an incorrect subject–verb pattern with an incorrect verb form. Use a consistent past tense for the two years, check subject–verb agreement, and build complete clauses—for example, “The proportion who spoke another language rose from 15% to 20%.”

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