Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-16

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 illustration states the data of library which is being used by individuals, located in a zone called Little Chalfont.

The chart explains the age of library persons, which are separated in 4 various parts. Furthermore, it also reveals the percentage of loans by different categories, from 2007 to 2016.

Firstly, numbers of loans were just started from 15,000 in 2007, and rose by almost 19,000 in 2008, and remained constant in 2009. From the year 2010 number were remained over 20,000 in all years except from 2013, where figure just remained beneath the 20,000 mark. And by the finishing year 2016, number was at its peak almost equal to 22,000.

In 2016, 51 percent of the library members were from adults category, and 22% were children. Young adults held the share of 15% and 12% were senior members, over or equal to 65 years old. In 2016, Children's fiction and adult fiction books had same amount of loans equal to 38%. Adults non fictions and children non fiction held the shares of 13% and 6% respectively. And left categories had minor amount of percentage from overall numbers of loans in 2016.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the charts, including the trend in loans over time and the breakdown of members and loan categories in 2016. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the description of the loan trend is a bit repetitive, and the comparison between categories could be more analytical. While the key features are identified, the report lacks a clear overview or summary paragraph that synthesises the main trends, which is a requirement for a higher band. The data is generally accurate, but the presentation of the information is slightly mechanical.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, a trend analysis, and a breakdown of the 2016 data. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and 'In 2016', though some transitions feel a bit forced or repetitive. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing could be improved to ensure smoother flow between sentences. The paragraphing is appropriate for the task, helping the reader navigate the different sets of data provided in the charts.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. Phrases like 'numbers of loans were just started' and 'left categories had minor amount of percentage' are somewhat unnatural and imprecise. There is an attempt to use specific terms like 'fiction' and 'non-fiction', but the range is limited. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more sophisticated collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing such as 'remained' or 'amount of'. The errors in word choice do not impede communication but prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'numbers were remained', 'figure just remained beneath', and 'percentage of library members were from adults category'. These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the data. There is a lack of variety in complex structures, and the control over articles and verb tenses is inconsistent. Improving the accuracy of basic sentence construction will help elevate your score in this criterion.

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

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