Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-04
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The charts below give information about a public library in a town called Little Chalfont.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The chart illustrate the details about a total loans category, library members as well as total number of loans issued at public library in the Little Chalfont from 2007 to 2016.
Examining the information about category of total loans. The highest proportion was noted for children's fiction and adult's fiction books at 38% for each, indicating a dominant category among others. 13% accounted for adult non-fiction books, showing the second preference. However, minimal figures were observed for other sector.
By 2016, the highest proportion of library member was adult at around 18 to 64 age group, showing a peak popularity at around 51%. The second group of library members were noted for young adults from 13 to 17. In contrast, only 125 and 15% recorded for children and citizens.
Moreover, evaluate the total number of loans between 2007 and 2016. The figure was observed slight fluctuation and became stable at the end, it ranging from nearly 15,000 in 2007 to more than 22,000 in 2016.
Overall, the highest proportion of loans category accounted for children's non-fiction book and adult's fiction books. Adult were the most dominant age group of library member. The total number of loan was showed slight upward trend with minimal fluctuations.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all three charts provided, identifying key features such as the dominant loan categories and the primary age group of library members. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the summary of the total number of loans lacks precision, as the student describes a 'slight fluctuation' while the data shows a clear, consistent upward trend from 15,000 to over 22,000. Additionally, there is a factual error in the conclusion where the student identifies 'children's non-fiction' as a top category, whereas the chart indicates 'children's fiction'. The overview is present but could be more effectively integrated to highlight the main trends rather than just repeating data points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, each focusing on a specific chart. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover', 'In contrast', and 'Overall', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'only 125 and 15% recorded for children and citizens', where the connection to the data is confusing. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different data sets, but the internal flow within paragraphs could be improved by better linking the data points rather than listing them sequentially.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe trends and proportions. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'dominant category' and 'minimal fluctuations'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'total loans category' instead of 'loan categories' and 'minimal figures were observed for other sector' (should be plural). Some phrasing is repetitive, and the student struggles with precise terminology when describing the data, which occasionally impacts the clarity of the information presented.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The chart illustrate', 'The total number of loan was showed'), missing articles ('at public library'), and awkward phrasing ('The figure was observed slight fluctuation'). These errors are persistent but do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points. To reach a higher band, the student needs to focus on consistent verb tense usage and correct article placement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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