Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-12
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 provided three chart illustrate details about a public library in a town called Little Chalfont.
Overall, pie chart shows four different age groups, which was members of Little Chalfont Library and adult age group had the highest share of members in library. The table chart depict the total loans by categories, although children's fiction recorded the largest proportion of loans and Children's DVDs had the lowest percentage of loans The bar chart demonstrates the total number of loans over the period.
To begin with, adult 18-64 age group experienced the biggest share of library at 51 members, followed by children the second highest proportion with 22 members. Young adults 13-17 was 15 members, adults 65 and over age group total members was 12. Children's fiction the highest loans with 38%, while Adult audio books and Young adults both category was 2%.
Turning to the next details, number of loans experienced fluctuation over the period. The numbers of loans started at 16,000 in 2007, at the end it stood at 22,000 in 2016.
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 candidate successfully covers all three visual formats provided in the prompt by summarizing the main features and making relevant comparisons. In the overview, the student outlines the key characteristics of the pie chart, table, and bar chart, noting that adult members had the highest share, children's fiction recorded the largest proportion of loans, and the total loans fluctuated over the period. Specific data points are selected and reported in the body paragraphs, such as '51 members' for the 18-64 age group and '16,000 in 2007' to '22,000 in 2016' for total loans. However, the response tends to list data rather than fully synthesizing or comparing all aspects comprehensively, which keeps it at a Band 6.0 level for covering parts of the task more fully than others.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure, separating the introduction, overview, body details, and final trends. The student employs standard cohesive phrases such as 'Overall', 'To begin with', and 'Turning to the next details' to signal transitions between ideas. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition between sentences in the second body paragraph feels abrupt, and phrases like 'while Adult audio books and Young adults both category was 2%' lack smooth grammatical integration. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, but overall logical progression between sentences could be tighter.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The candidate demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'proportion', 'fluctuation', and 'experienced'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and phrasing throughout the text. Examples include 'The provided three chart illustrate' (grammatical error in pluralisation), 'adult age group had the highest share of members in library' (missing article), and 'Adult audio books and Young adults both category was 2%'. Furthermore, repetitive use of terms like 'members' and 'loans' limits the lexical flexibility. These errors do not impede overall communication, placing the response securely in the Band 6 band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures such as dependent clauses ('while Adult audio books and Young adults both category was 2%') and introductory prepositional phrases. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, particularly with subject-verb agreement and singular/plural forms. Examples include 'The provided three chart illustrate' instead of 'charts illustrate', 'which was members' instead of 'which represented members', and 'Young adults 13-17 was 15 members'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but missing plural markers and articles impact the overall grammatical accuracy. The errors rarely impede communication, aligning with the Band 6 descriptor.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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