Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-07-30
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The diagram below shows how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
The formation of rain-shadow deserts
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The pie chart and table illustrate the results of a survey of library users at a university.
Overall, it is clear that the most popular categories are full-time undergraduate. While the user are mostly satisfied with helpfulness of staff. However, the lowest categories of library user is distance leaning( all courses).
According to pie chart, The most largest categories are full-time undergraduate with 44% , while other second and third popular categories are full-time postgraduate percentage of 25%. and 16%. However, distance leaning ( all courses) and academic staff are lowest users accounted for 8% and 7% comparatively.
Next to the table, helpfulness of staff is most common satisfaction among library users 95% of very statisfied, 5%of fairly satisfied and 0% of not satisfied. Meanwhile, reliability of wi-fi around 48% users very satisfied, 33% fairly satisfied and other 19% not satisfied. Ability of books, there are 50% very satisfied and 40% of users fairly satisfied and other 10% not satisfied. Library opening hours, around 65% users very satisfied and 35% fairly satisfied with 0% not satisfied. However, availability of journals are very satisfied with 45% of users, 35% are fairly satisfied and others 20% are not satisfied.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks for a description of the formation of a rain-shadow desert based on a diagram, but the student has written a report about a survey of library users. Because the student failed to address the task requirements entirely, the response cannot be evaluated for task achievement regarding the provided diagram. In an actual exam, this would be treated as a memorized or irrelevant response, resulting in a very low score for this criterion. To improve, you must carefully analyze the provided visual information—in this case, a scientific process—rather than writing about a different topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'While', 'However', and 'According to'. However, the logical progression is undermined by the fact that the content does not relate to the prompt. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the transition between the pie chart and the table is mechanical. While the structure is present, the lack of relevance to the task makes the coherence ineffective. To improve, ensure that your ideas flow logically from the visual data provided and use linking words to compare features rather than just listing them.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for describing data, using terms like 'categories', 'percentage', 'accounted for', and 'satisfied'. However, there are several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'most largest' (a double superlative), 'distance leaning' (likely a misspelling of 'learning'), and 'statisfied'. These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not completely impede communication. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring correct spelling and collocations, such as 'the largest category' instead of 'the most largest categories'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('the user are mostly satisfied'), missing articles ('According to pie chart'), and awkward phrasing ('Ability of books, there are 50% very satisfied'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of periods and commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and consistent use of articles.
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