Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-04
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 provided images illustrates the results of a survey of library users at a university, in which bar graph depicts the categories of library users and table give information about library user satisfaction. The data has been calibrated in to percentages.
Overall, it is crystal clear that the highest value is covered by helpfulness of staff and least value is covered by academic staff.
At a fleeting glance, in pie chart, the highest value was enveloped by full-time undergraduate which was 44%, followed by full time-postgraduate which was 25%. Moreover, the difference in percentage between distance learning and academic staff was exactly 1%. In addition, the ratio of part-time postgraduates and distance learning in all courses was 16% and 8% respectively.
Moving ahead, in the table, library opening hours users were very satisfied which denoted the percentage of 65, while only 15% users were fairly satisfied. The 10% library users were not satisfied by the availability of journals. Furthermore, on third of users were fairly satisfied with availability of wi-fi, but half of the users were satisfied by the availability of books.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have successfully identified the main features of the data and provided relevant comparisons. You covered both the pie chart and the table, ensuring all parts of the prompt were addressed. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; you mention 'helpfulness of staff' as the highest value, but the data provided in the prompt image relates to categories of users and satisfaction levels, not staff helpfulness. Additionally, your description of the data could be more precise; for instance, you refer to a 'pie chart' when the prompt shows a bar graph. To improve, ensure you carefully interpret the labels and types of charts provided to avoid factual errors in your summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on the chart and the table respectively. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'In addition', and 'Moving ahead' to transition between ideas. However, some of these transitions feel a bit mechanical or slightly unnatural in context. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing could be improved to ensure the reader follows the data points more smoothly. Overall, the structure is functional and supports the development of your response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'calibrated', 'percentages', and 'respectively'. However, there are some instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'highest value is covered by' and 'enveloped by', which are not standard ways to describe statistical data. You also use 'denoted the percentage of 65', which is slightly unnatural. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations for describing trends and data, such as 'accounted for', 'represented', or 'constituted', rather than relying on non-standard phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('images illustrates', 'table give information') and incorrect article usage ('in pie chart', 'on third of users'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not generally impede communication. To improve, pay closer attention to basic grammatical rules like pluralization and the use of definite/indefinite articles. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while ensuring accuracy will help you achieve a higher band score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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