Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-30
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 little chalfont library has members of all ages from young adults to adults over 65 years old.
Library has members from age 13 to 65 and over. Members include children, young adults, adults and adults of age 65 or above. Adults made up the highest members in total following it were children, young adults and then adults that were the age of 65 or above that. Number of loans varies from year-to-year with some year ranging around 15,000 and other upto 20,000.
We have data of number of loans from 2007 to 2016. In the year 2007 around 15,000 books were taken as loan. Which increased to 18,000 in 2008 and remain same in 2009. An increase was seen in 2010 and 2011 the number of loans crossed the 20,000 loans threshold. Which dropped to 18,000 in 2013. In the year [redacted phone] a small jump can be seen in total loans.
We will talk about the loans taken in 2016. Children fiction made 38 percent of the total loan. And adult fiction was 38 percent as well. Which made up the substantial amount. Following these the adult non-fiction made up 13 percent. While, other categories remained small ranging from 1 to 6 percent including children non fiction, dvds, young adults and adult audio books.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student attempts to address all parts of the visual data, mentioning the age of members, overall loans over time, and the breakdown of loans by category in 2016. However, there are some inaccuracies in reading the specific data points from the charts (for instance, stating that loans in 2007 were around 15,000 when the chart shows 15,700, and stating they increased to 18,000 in 2008 when the graph shows 19,000). While an overview is attempted, it is fragmented across the introduction and body paragraphs rather than clearly synthesized. The selection of main features is generally relevant, but the lack of precise reporting and underdeveloped overview prevent it from reaching a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is divided into four paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The introduction is very brief and blends into the second paragraph awkwardly. Furthermore, the use of conversational meta-language ('We will talk about the loans taken in 2016') is inappropriate for an academic report. Cohesive devices are minimal or mechanical, and referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'following it were children, young adults and then adults that were the age of 65 or above that.' Paragraphing structure needs better control and clearer links between ideas to achieve a higher score.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary to describe the basic features of the charts, using terms like 'percentage,' 'threshold,' 'categories,' and 'substantial amount.' However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'Children fiction made 38 percent of the total loan' (instead of 'loans') and repetitive sentence structures using 'made up' and 'remained.' Spelling and capitalization issues are also present, such as 'little chalfont library.' The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, which is characteristic of a Band 5 response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in punctuation, capitalization, and article usage (e.g., 'Library has members...' missing an article, 'Children fiction' instead of 'Children's fiction'). Sentence structures are sometimes clumsy, as seen in 'Number of loans varies from year-to-year with some year ranging around 15,000 and other upto 20,000.' Errors occasionally cause slight strain for the reader, though communication remains generally understandable throughout.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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