Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-03

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 shows the change in loan amount for several years in Little Chalfont library.

Overall, there is no continuous change in number of loans but the Fiction category leads the chart.

The pie chart shows that the adults who are above sixty-five years of age were the least likely to visit compared to young adults and adults between eighteen to sixty-four years of age. Adults between eighteen to sixty-four years of age led with the numbers to be visited in library. The loans are divided in different categories like Fiction, with the highest number of loan amount i.e thirty-eight, the non-fiction and audio books i.e around two to thirteen percent , and DVDs with only one percent of loan.

The bar chart is moving inconsistently, it increased after 2007 for the next four years continuously, but then decreased in 2013, and then again started to increase from 2014 to 2016

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the task but lacks the necessary analytical depth. While you identify the main features, the description of the data is somewhat superficial. For instance, you mention the 'Fiction' category leads but do not provide a clear comparison of the other categories. The summary of the bar chart is also quite vague, describing the trend as 'moving inconsistently' rather than using precise data points to illustrate the fluctuations. To improve, ensure you select key data points (e.g., the peak and low years) to support your overview and provide a more comprehensive comparison between the different age groups and loan categories.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression is weak. The transition between the pie chart data and the bar chart data is abrupt, and the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical (e.g., 'The chart shows...', 'The pie chart shows...', 'The bar chart is...'). To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly, such as 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', or 'Regarding the trends'.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. Phrases like 'led with the numbers to be visited' are awkward and unnatural. You rely on basic descriptors like 'highest number' and 'change'. To improve, incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to data reporting, such as 'accounted for', 'constituted', 'fluctuated', or 'a significant proportion'. Avoid repetitive sentence structures and try to use more sophisticated collocations to describe the trends shown in the charts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder clarity. For example, 'the adults who are above sixty-five years of age were the least likely to visit' is wordy, and 'the numbers to be visited in library' is grammatically incorrect. There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that your complex sentences are constructed accurately. Proofreading for minor errors in tense and word order will also help improve your score.

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

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