Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-05

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 chart and table illustrate the information related to the library users obtained via a survey conducted at a university.

Overall, the pie chart shows the proportion of multiple categories of people including students and staff using the library. With the majority being full time undergraduate students whilst the lowest share was held by the academic staff . On the other hand the table represents the satisfaction of overall users in multiple aspects of the library with most users being very satisfied with the staff.

The pie chart indicates majority users of the library being either full time undergraduate students at 44 percent or full time postgraduate students accounting for 25 percent of the total users. Whilst online learning users accounted for just 7 percent of the users which may be due to 19 percent of users being unsatisfied by the wi-fi connection as shown in the table. Followed by the staff .

No users complained about the opening hours as well as the cooperation of the library staff . However 20 percent of the users were not satisfied by the availability of journals in the library whilst in the other 80 percent of users surveyed majority being very satisfied with the availability

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of both the chart and the table. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with relevant data, such as the 44 percent for undergraduates and the 20 percent dissatisfaction rate regarding journals. However, the report lacks a cohesive synthesis of the data. For instance, the link between online users and Wi-Fi dissatisfaction is a good observation, but it is presented somewhat abruptly. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are clearly integrated and that the comparison between categories is more explicit throughout the response. The final sentence is slightly fragmented and could be better integrated into the main body of the analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'on the other hand' and 'whilst' to connect ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. For example, the transition 'Followed by the staff' is a sentence fragment that disrupts the logical progression. Additionally, the paragraphing could be improved; the overview is currently merged with the introduction, and the body paragraphs could be more clearly delineated to separate the pie chart data from the table data. Improving the use of referencing and transition markers would enhance the overall readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'accounting for', and 'satisfied'. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'majority users' instead of 'the majority of users' and 'unsatisfied by' instead of 'dissatisfied with'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms for 'users' or 'satisfied' and ensure that your collocations are natural and accurate in an academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('the academic staff') and punctuation issues, particularly with spacing around percentages and periods. Some sentences, such as 'Followed by the staff', are incomplete. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on sentence completeness and ensure that complex structures are punctuated correctly. Reviewing subject-verb agreement and the use of articles will also help increase your accuracy.

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

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