Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart and table below show the results of a survey of library users at a university.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Categories of library users

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The pie charts illustrate the proportion of five different categories of library users, while table provide information about the user satisfaction on library activities in a survey at an university.

Overall, it is clear that the full-time undergraduate users dominate all other four categories while, academic staff users are lowest. Regarding user satisfaction, the helpfulness of staff accounts for the highest percentage among all categories. Conversely, availabilty of journals registered the lowest satisfaction.

Regrading to the pie chart, the Full-time undergraduate used highest proportion of library with value of 44%. Next to that the one in four full-time postgraduates use the library. The part-time postgraduates used the library just 16%. W

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main user group accurately: full-time undergraduates make up 44%, and you correctly describe academic staff as the smallest group. Your overview also selects two relevant satisfaction findings, noting staff helpfulness as highest and journal availability as lowest. However, the response addresses the task only partially: it stops before reporting the remaining user categories and gives no figures or comparisons for the satisfaction table. The claim that journal availability had the lowest satisfaction is broadly supported by its 45% very-satisfied result, but the table also shows that 20% were not satisfied, the highest negative rating. The response is 39 words below the required minimum, which contributes to the limited coverage. Include the key figures for both visuals and complete the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph beginning to describe the user categories. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Conversely,” and “Next to that” show an attempt to guide the reader through comparisons. However, progression is interrupted because the final paragraph ends abruptly with “W,” and the table is not discussed, so the report does not develop into a complete account. Some connections are also awkward: “while” in the overview does not clearly express the contrast between the largest and smallest groups, and “Next to that” is not a natural comparison marker here. Organise the body into complete paragraphs covering the user categories and satisfaction results, and use clear links such as “by comparison” and “in contrast.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “proportion,” “categories,” “satisfaction,” and “highest percentage,” and the reader can generally understand the comparisons you intend. There is some repetition of “used the library,” however, and several word-choice or spelling problems reduce precision. For example, “library activities” is vague for the table’s measures, while “availabilty” and “Regrading” are misspelled. “The full-time undergraduate users dominate” is understandable but less natural than describing this group as the largest share. Aim for accurate collocations and vary the language used to report proportions and satisfaction. These improvements would make the limited range more effective and reduce the effort needed to interpret some phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple statements and attempts at more complex sentences, such as “Overall, it is clear that … while …” and “The pie charts illustrate …, while table provide …”. Meaning is usually recoverable, but errors occur in basic sentence construction and agreement. For example, “while table provide” needs an article and a singular verb (“while the table provides”), and “at an university” should be “at a university.” The phrase “the Full-time undergraduate used highest proportion” is missing grammatical elements, and “the one in four full-time postgraduates use” shifts awkwardly between a proportion and a group. The final “W” also leaves a sentence incomplete. Use complete sentences, check articles and verb agreement, and proofread punctuation and sentence endings.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.