Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-28

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 pie chart compares age of library members, whilst table illustrates information about total loans by seven categories in 2016. Whereas, table shows total number of loans taken from Little Chalfont library between 2007 to 2016.

Overall, mostly members of library were adults, at the same time the least proprtion was of adults over 65. Meanwhile, children's fiction and adult fiction books were highly rented among all categories. In 2016, highest loans were taken, showing similar trend in 2010, 2011 and 2015.

According to the contribution of library members, adults ranging from 18 to 64 made up the lion's share of total 51%. While the proportion of children was half to 22%. On the other hand, young adults (13-17) and adults (65 and over) contributing the least of 12% and 15% respectively. The highest loan taking category was childern's fiction and adult fiction each contributed 38%. The adult non-fiction was second most likely book to taken as loan standing at 13%. However, children DVDs, adult audio books, and young adults books were showing the lowest figure of 1%, 2% and 2% respectively.

The total number of loans were mostly greater than 20,000 in 2010,2011,2012,2014,2015,and 2016, followed closely by 2013 standing at just below 20,000.Whereas the least loan taking year was 2007 standing at just above 15,000. On the other hand, in 2008 and 2009 in remained stable at 18,000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The candidate successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by summarizing the main features from the three visual representations provided (age of library members, total loans by category, and total loans over time). An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the main trends such as the predominance of adult members and adult/children's fiction books. Key data points are selected and reported, including percentages for age brackets (e.g., adults 18-64 at 51%) and loan categories, as well as the trend in total loans from 2007 to 2016. However, there are minor confusions in the reporting of specific data; for instance, the text states 'young adults (13-17) and adults (65 and over) contributing the least of 12% and 15% respectively', which mismatches the data (13-17 is 15%, and 65 and over is 12%). Overall, the task is well addressed with clear comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is arranged logically into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the specific data sets. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different charts. Cohesive devices are generally present, but some links and transitional phrases are awkward or misused, such as starting sentences with 'Whereas,' or 'At the same time,' which results in grammatical fragments or clunky transitions. Referencing is mostly clear, though progression between sentences can occasionally feel mechanical. Overall arrangement ensures the reader can follow the main trends and comparisons without significant confusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common collocations and phrases such as 'lion's share', 'highly rented', and 'second most likely book to taken as loan'. However, there are notable lexical and collocational inaccuracies, such as using 'rented' instead of 'borrowed' or 'loaned' for library books, and awkward phrasing like 'highest loan taking category'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but word choice errors and grammatical infelicities in vocabulary items occasionally detract from precision. A sufficient range is demonstrated to convey the main features, placing this firmly in the Band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and comparative structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, such as missing prepositions or incorrect verb forms ('book to taken as loan', 'in remained stable', 'total number of loans were mostly greater'). Punctuation is generally functional, but comma splices and run-on ideas occur. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Control of grammar is inconsistent, reflecting typical Band 6 performance.

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

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