Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-08
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 and table compares the outcomes of a survey of five categories of library users and their satisfaction percentage at a university.
Overall, full-time undergraduate users recorded the highest percentage, while academic and distance learning users showed the lowest. Additionally, library users were more satisfy by helpfulness of staff, whilst no one user was not satisfy by library opening hours and helpfulness of staff.
To begin with pie chart, Full-time undergraduate users made up 44% of library users.This was followed by a quarter full-time postgraduate. In addition, almost 16% library users were part-time postgraduate ;however, approximately halved percentage of distance learning(all courses) library users compared to part-time postgraduate. while only 7% was recorded by academic staff.
Turning to table data, the highest percentage of library users were very satisfied by helpfulness of staff , 65% of users by library opening hours and 50% by availability of books . whilst, 45% library users were very satisfied by availability of journals and 48% by reliability of wi-fi. In case of fairly satisfied, only 5% library users were fairly satisfied and all others facilities recorded around 40%.Moreover, availability of books, availabity of journals and reliability of wi-fi were not satisfied.
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 the main features of both the chart and the table. You successfully identified the largest user group (full-time undergraduates) and highlighted the key satisfaction trends. However, the analysis of the table is slightly confusing. For example, stating 'no one user was not satisfy' is unclear and contradicts the data provided. Additionally, the comparison of 'distance learning' users is mathematically imprecise ('halved percentage' is not clearly supported by the 8% figure). To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are described with greater precision and that the summary of the table clearly distinguishes between the different satisfaction levels (very satisfied vs. fairly satisfied) rather than grouping them loosely.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, moving from the pie chart to the table. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'To begin with', and 'Turning to', which helps the flow. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In case of fairly satisfied'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the final paragraph where the connection between the satisfaction categories and the specific library services becomes muddled. Improving the transition between sentences and ensuring that pronouns or references clearly point to their antecedents would improve the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the main points, including terms like 'recorded', 'percentage', and 'availability'. However, there are several errors in word form and collocation that hinder precision, such as 'more satisfy by' (should be 'more satisfied with') and 'all others facilities' (should be 'all other facilities'). The repetition of 'library users' and 'satisfied' suggests a limited range of synonyms. To improve, focus on using more varied descriptive language and ensure correct word forms are used consistently, especially when discussing data trends.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include missing articles ('To begin with pie chart'), incorrect verb forms ('no one user was not satisfy'), and punctuation errors (spacing before punctuation). While the meaning is generally understandable, these recurring errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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