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Cambridge 10 Writing Task 1 Test 4 - Sample Answers (Band 9 to 4-5)
Real band 9, 8, 7 and 6.5 sample answers for this prompt, plus a genuine band 4-5 answer so you can see exactly what pulls a score down. Every sample comes with examiner-style notes on Task Achievement, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.
The Prompt
Life Cycle of the Salmon
The diagrams below show the life cycle of a species of large fish called the salmon.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
The Data
Life cycle of the salmon — stages
1. Eggs laid: Laid in slow-moving water of the upper river, among reeds. Incubation: approx. 5-6 months.
2. Fry hatch: Young salmon (fry) hatch and remain in the calm, shallow upper river.
3. Juveniles migrate downstream: Move to the fast-flowing lower river as they grow larger.
4. Migration to the open sea: Approx. 4 years in the ocean, growing to 70-76 cm.
5. Adults return upstream: Mature salmon navigate back to their birth river to spawn.
6. Eggs laid again: Adults spawn in the upper river, completing the life cycle.
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187 wordsNames the freshwater-to-sea-and-back structure as the defining feature of the cycle, not just a list of stages.
The diagram illustrates the life cycle of the salmon, a species of large fish, from the laying of eggs through to the point at which adult fish return to reproduce.
Overall, the salmon's life cycle consists of six stages spanning both freshwater and marine environments, with the fish spending its early life in the upper river before migrating first downstream and then out to sea, and finally returning upstream to complete the cycle.
The cycle begins when eggs are laid in the slow-moving water of the upper river, where they take approximately five to six months to incubate among the reeds. Once hatched, the young salmon, known as fry, remain in this calm upper section of the river as they develop. As they grow larger, the juvenile salmon migrate downstream to the faster-flowing lower river, before eventually moving into the open sea.
The salmon then spends around four years in the ocean, during which time it grows substantially, reaching a length of 70 to 76 centimetres. Finally, the mature fish navigates back upstream to its birth river to spawn, laying eggs that begin the cycle once again.
Examiner Notes
Task Achievement: Covers all six stages accurately, and the overview identifies the freshwater-to-marine-and-back structure of the cycle, which is the single most useful generalisation a reader could take from the diagram.
Coherence & Cohesion: A dedicated overview precedes a chronologically ordered account of every stage, with sequencing language ("begins", "once hatched", "finally") that is varied and precise.
Lexical Resource: Precise biological and process vocabulary ("incubate", "spawn", "navigates", "substantially") used accurately throughout.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Wide range of accurate structures, including passive voice and participle clauses, used with full control.
Band 8
163 wordsAccurate and complete, just slightly plainer in how it frames the river-to-sea structure.
The diagram shows the life cycle of the salmon, a large fish, starting from when eggs are laid to when adult fish return to lay eggs again.
Overall, the salmon goes through six stages during its life, moving from the upper river, down to the lower river, out to the sea, and then all the way back to the upper river again to complete the cycle.
The cycle starts when eggs are laid in the upper river, in slow water among the reeds, and these take about five to six months to hatch. After hatching, the young salmon, called fry, stay in the upper river while they grow. As they get bigger, the young salmon move downstream to the lower river, where the water flows faster, before eventually swimming out to the open sea.
The salmon stays in the sea for about four years, growing to between 70 and 76 centimetres, before finally returning upstream to lay eggs and start the cycle again.
Examiner Notes
Task Achievement: Covers all six stages accurately with a clear overview, though "moving from... to... and then all the way back" is a slightly less precise way of framing the freshwater/marine distinction than the band 9 answer's.
Coherence & Cohesion: Clear chronological order throughout, with an overview that sets up the detail that follows.
Lexical Resource: Good process vocabulary, though "goes through" is a plainer verb choice than the higher-band answer's more varied language.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Accurate throughout, with good control of passive voice and sequencing.
Band 7
164 wordsAll six stages are reported accurately and in order, but the overview stays general rather than naming the key pattern.
The diagram describes the life cycle of the salmon, which is a big fish, from when it is an egg until it becomes an adult fish that lays eggs again.
Overall, the salmon has six stages in its life and it moves between the river and the sea during this time. This back-and-forth movement between fresh water and salt water is the most distinctive feature of the whole cycle.
First, eggs are laid in the upper part of the river, and they take five to six months to hatch. After they hatch, the baby salmon, called fry, live in the upper river while they grow bigger. Then the young salmon swim down to the lower river, where the water is faster, and after that they go to the sea.
The salmon lives in the sea for about four years and grows to 70 to 76 centimetres long. After this, it swims back up the river to lay eggs, and the whole cycle starts again.
Examiner Notes
Task Achievement: Covers all six stages accurately with a basic overview, though "moves between the river and the sea" is less specific than naming the freshwater-to-marine transition explicitly.
Coherence & Cohesion: Chronological throughout, using simple time markers ("First", "Then", "After that") rather than a wider range of connectors.
Lexical Resource: Adequate range for the task ("baby salmon" instead of the more precise "fry" used consistently), generally accurate.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Generally accurate, simple sentence structures dominate; meaning is always clear.
Band 6.5
163 wordsEvery stage is reported accurately and in order, but agreement errors appear on almost every line.
The diagram describe life cycle of salmon, which is big fish, from when it is egg until it become adult fish that lay egg again.
Overall, salmon have six stage in its life and it move between river and sea during this time. This back and forth movement between fresh water and salt water is most special feature of whole cycle.
First, egg is lay in upper part of river, and it take five to six month to hatch. After they hatch, baby salmon, call fry, live in upper river while they grow bigger. Then young salmon swim down to lower river, where water is faster, and after that they go to sea. This part of journey take some time because young salmon must grow bigger before they can survive in sea.
Salmon live in sea for about four year and grow to 70 to 76 centimetre long. After this, it swim back up river to lay egg, and whole cycle start again.
Examiner Notes
Task Achievement: Covers all six stages accurately with a basic overview, matching the content of the band 7 answer.
Coherence & Cohesion: Chronological structure that mirrors the higher-band answers, using the same simple time markers.
Lexical Resource: Limited by missing plurals throughout ("egg", "stage", "year" used instead of their plural forms).
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent subject-verb agreement errors ("diagram describe", "salmon have", "egg is lay", "it take", "salmon live", "it swim", "cycle start") appear in nearly every sentence.
Band 4-5 - What to Avoid
57 wordsTwo whole stages are missing, no figures are given, and it closes with a personal reaction rather than a report.
Salmon start from egg in river. Then it become small fish. It grow more and swim to sea.
In sea it live for long time and become big. Then it come back to river again.
It lay egg again and this is how salmon life go, it is amazing cycle of nature I think, very interesting animal.
Examiner Notes
Task Achievement: Several distinct stages shown in the diagram are missing altogether, there is no mention of the fry stage or the separate downstream migration, and no figures for duration or size are given at all. The closing comment ("it is amazing cycle of nature I think") is a personal reaction that has no place in a Task 1 report. At well under 150 words, the response is also underlength.
Coherence & Cohesion: No overview separates the main pattern from supporting detail, and stages run together without clear boundaries.
Lexical Resource: Extremely basic vocabulary ("small fish", "big") with no technical terms like "fry" or "spawn".
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent errors throughout ("Salmon start from egg", "it become", "it live", "it come back").
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