Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-06
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 proportions of people attending a library at a university. While the table demonstrates the level of satisfaction on various types of accommodations and service.
Overall, all categories in the table were reported to be mostly satisfactory, helpfulness of staff being considered very satisfactory by nearly everyone. In addition, a quarter of the library users are full-time postgraduates while the most prevalent library-goers were full-time undergraduates.
The group of people with the least amount of proportions were concluded to academic staff at 7%. Similarly, Distance learners followed suit at 8%. However, the group highest in numbers were full-time undergraduates, standing at 44%. While full-time postgraduates and part-time postgraduates were 25% and 16% respectively.
According to the table of user satisfaction, both library opening hours and helpfulness of staff had no unsatisfied reviews with 65% and 95% very satisfied results respectively. On the other hand, The two groups with the highest unsatisfactory reviews were availability of journals and reliability of wi-fi, hoarding 20% and 19% of the reviews as not satisfied. These two groups were also quite sim
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
You have successfully identified the main features of both the chart and the table, providing a clear overview and supporting details. You made relevant comparisons, such as noting the highest and lowest categories of users and contrasting satisfaction levels. However, the response ends abruptly with 'quite sim', which means the final point is incomplete. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are fully articulated and that the conclusion is finished. The overview is clear, but ensure that the data selection is balanced across all parts of the prompt to fully satisfy the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is generally well-organized with a clear paragraph structure. You use cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Similarly', and 'On the other hand' to link ideas effectively. However, the abrupt ending disrupts the flow of the final paragraph, which impacts the overall coherence. The progression of ideas is logical, moving from the user categories to the satisfaction levels. To improve, focus on ensuring that every sentence is complete and that the transition between paragraphs remains smooth throughout the entire text, avoiding incomplete thoughts at the end of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'prevalent', 'accommodations', and 'unsatisfactory' appropriately. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'hoarding 20% of the reviews', which is not the most natural collocation in this context. Additionally, 'concluded to academic staff' is slightly awkward phrasing. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and ensure that collocations are natural. Expanding your range of synonyms for 'high' and 'low' would also enhance the sophistication of your writing.
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 some grammatical slips, such as 'The group of people with the least amount of proportions were concluded to academic staff', which is syntactically confusing. Another error is 'The two groups with the highest unsatisfactory reviews were availability of journals and reliability of wi-fi', where the subject-verb agreement is slightly off. While these errors do not impede communication, they are noticeable. Focus on proofreading to catch these small errors and aim for more consistent control over complex sentence structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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