Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-03
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 chart depicts the total portion consumers ranging from academic staff to distance learner whereas table illustrates the feedback of users to several factors of library.
Overall, it is apparent that most of the users of library are full-time undergraduate while academic staff shared the smallest portion. In addition, a considerable number of users are satisfied with the helpfulness of staff.
To begin with, full-time undergraduate represented the largest portion and accounted for 44% followed by full-time postgraduate made up nearly 25% of the total. Part-time postgraduate recorded as 16% whereas the percentage for distance learning and academic staff were almost identical at around 8% and 7% respectively.
On the other hand, it seems that overall users are satisfied with the helpfulness of staff. The feedback of availability of books is balanced neither satisfied nor unsatisfied. It is noticeable that 48% of users are satisfied whereas 20% of consumers are not satisfied with availability of journals.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the pie chart and the table. You successfully identified the main features, such as the largest user group (full-time undergraduates) and the general satisfaction levels regarding library services. However, the analysis of the table is somewhat superficial. For instance, you mention that the feedback on the availability of books is 'balanced,' but you do not provide the specific figures to support this, which is a key requirement for Task 1. To improve, ensure you include data points for all categories mentioned to provide a more comprehensive overview of the information provided in the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The use of cohesive devices such as 'In addition,' 'To begin with,' and 'On the other hand' helps guide the reader through the information. However, the transition between the pie chart data and the table data could be smoother. Additionally, some sentences feel slightly disjointed due to minor grammatical issues. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0 level of organization.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'depicts,' 'accounted for,' and 'identical.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'total portion consumers' is awkward; 'proportion of library users' would be more natural. Similarly, 'feedback of availability' should be 'feedback on the availability.' While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher band scores. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and noun phrases would enhance your lexical score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('the' before 'table,' 'the' before 'library') and issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'full-time undergraduate represented' should be 'full-time undergraduates represented'). Additionally, the phrase 'recorded as 16%' is grammatically incorrect in this context; it should be 'accounted for 16%.' While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for articles and pluralization will help improve your accuracy.
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.