Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 GIVEN PIE CHART ILLUSTRATES THE CATEGORIES OF LIBRARY USERS WHILE THE PROVIDED TABLE INDICATES THE SATISFACTION LEVEL OF LIBRARY USERS IN A UNIVERSITY.

OVERALL, IN THE PIE CHART, FULL TIME UNDERGRADUATE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN LIBRARY WHILE ACADEMIC STAFF LESS CONTRIBUTED THEIR TIME IN LIBRARY AND IN THE TABLE PEOPLE WITH VERY SATISFIED WAS IN HELPFULNESS OF STAFF,IN FAIRLY SATISFIED AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS WERE IN A MIDDLE AND THE LEVEL OF NOT SATISFIED WAS HIGHER IN AVAILIBILITY OF JOURNELS ALSO ROUGHLY EQUAL IN RELIABILITY OF WI-FI.

ON THE ONE HAND,THE FULL TIME UNDERGRADUATE SPENT 44% TIME IN THE LIBRARY,FULL TIME POSTGRADUATE SPENT ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF THEIR TIME IN LIBRARY AND PART-TIME POSTGRADUATE SPENT ABOUT SIXTEEN PERCENT.THE ACADEMIC STAFF CONTRIBUTED THEIR TIME LESS THAN TEN PERCENT ABOUT 7% WHILE THE DISTANCE LEARNING SPENT ABOUT 8%.

ON THE OTHER HAND,PEOPLE OF EVERY CATEGORY ARE VERY SATISFIED AND ROUGHLY ABOUT MORE THAN 50%,AND LEVEL OF FAIRLY SATISFIED WAS ABOUT LESS THAN HALF BUT MORE THAN ONE QUARTER WHILE THE LEVEL OF NOT SATISFIED IN EVERY KIND WAS LESS THAN ONE QUARTER AND IN SOME IT REMAINED ZERO.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify both visuals and include several accurate figures, especially the user shares of 44%, 25%, 16%, 7% and 8%. You also note that staff helpfulness has the strongest very-satisfied result and that some dissatisfaction figures are zero. However, the overview is unclear and includes an unsupported claim that undergraduates “spent a lot of time” in the library: the chart shows their share of users, not time spent. The satisfaction summary is also too general; “very satisfied” is not above 50% for every category, since books, journals and wi-fi are below that level. Select and compare the key results more precisely, such as staff helpfulness at 95% very satisfied versus journals at 45%, and identify the highest dissatisfaction for journals at 20%. The response covers the task, but some features are underdeveloped or misinterpreted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the chart and table. This helps the reader distinguish the two sets of information. However, progression within the overview is difficult to follow because several comparisons are compressed into one long sentence, and the contrast markers “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” do not clearly express the relationships between the data. The final paragraph groups all satisfaction results together rather than guiding the reader through the most important comparisons. Use shorter, clearly focused sentences and organise the table details by notable highs and lows. More precise linking and reference would make the overall arrangement easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “categories,” “satisfaction level,” “full-time postgraduate,” and “not satisfied,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the data hard to interpret. For example, “spent a lot of time” and “contributed their time” describe time use rather than the proportions of library users, while “people with very satisfied” is not a natural way to describe survey responses. There are also spelling errors such as “availibility” and “journels.” Aim for precise reporting language such as “accounted for,” “share,” and “respondents were very satisfied,” and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use basic comparison structures, but control is uneven. Several sentences contain errors that make relationships between ideas unclear, as in “full time undergraduate spent 44% time in the library” and “the level of fairly satisfied was about less than half.” Articles, prepositions, agreement and sentence boundaries also need attention; for example, the opening overview joins several points with commas, creating a run-on sentence. Most clauses follow a similar simple pattern, so the range is limited despite attempts to combine ideas. Build accuracy first with clear subject–verb structures, then add controlled complex sentences using “while” or “whereas.” Use consistent punctuation and capitalisation to make each comparison easier to read.

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