Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-15

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 charts are showing about the members of Little Chalfont Library in 2016, the loans by category, and the total loans from 2007 to 2016.

In the first chart, adults 18-64 is the biggest group with 51%. Children is 22% and young adults is 15%. The smallest group is adults 65 and over with 12%.

In the second chart, adult fiction and children's fiction have same percentage, 38% each. This is the highest categories. Adult non-fiction is 13%, it is less than fiction. Other categories like young adults, children's non-fiction, audio books and DVDs is very small, only 1% to 6%.

For the total loans, in 2007 it was about 16,000 and it increase to 21,000 in 2011. After that in 2013 it go down a little bit. But then it rise again and reach highest point in 2016, around 21,500.

To conclude, adults are the biggest users of the library and loans are increasing generally.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all three charts provided, identifying key features such as the dominant age group (adults 18-64) and the peak loan period in 2016. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention the categories, you could improve by grouping data more effectively—for instance, contrasting the high popularity of fiction against the lower interest in non-fiction and other media. The overview is present but lacks a clear synthesis of the trends. To reach a higher band, ensure you provide more analytical comparisons rather than simply listing percentages for each category.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with each chart addressed in its own section. There is a clear progression from the demographic data to the loan categories and finally the historical trend. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'In the first chart', 'In the second chart'). To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to connect ideas more fluidly, such as 'Conversely', 'In contrast', or 'Furthermore', which would help the text flow more naturally between sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely heavily on basic verbs like 'is' and 'are' to describe data. Phrases like 'biggest group' and 'highest categories' are functional but basic. To improve, incorporate more precise academic vocabulary such as 'predominant', 'account for', 'fluctuate', or 'witnessed a peak'. There are also minor issues with word choice, such as 'highest categories' instead of 'most popular categories'. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and verbs will significantly enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For example, 'The charts are showing' should be 'The charts show', and 'have same percentage' requires an article ('the same percentage'). There are also tense inconsistencies, such as 'it go down' (should be 'it went down') and 'it rise again' (should be 'it rose again'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the information, they are frequent enough to limit the score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent past tense usage for data reporting.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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