Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-10
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 results of a survey of university students.
Overall, the full-time undergraduate students show the largest proportion of library users than all other users followed by full-time postgraduate students. However, academic staff showed minimum figures followed by those who came from long distance. Almost all types of users were satisfied with the services provided by library.
Initially, the full-time undergraduates and full-time postgraduate shows highest figures of user with 44% and 25% respectively while part-time postgraduates show 16% participation at library, however, users from all courses who travel more towards the university show only 8% inclusion and the minimum record shows only 7% academic staff involvement as library users.
By contrast, table shows the feedback of some services provided by university's library, 65% users were so much satisfied with the opening hours while 35% were fairly satisfied but there is not record found for unsatisfied person with this service. 95% users were satisfied with the helpfulness behavior of the management while only 5% were fairly satisfied, however, services like availability of books, availability of journals and reliability of wi-fi show mix reviews by the users.
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
The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the chart and the table. You successfully identified the main features, such as the highest and lowest user categories and the general satisfaction levels. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For example, you mention 'mix reviews' for books, journals, and Wi-Fi but do not provide the specific data points from the table to support this, which is essential for a high band score. To improve, ensure you include specific figures for all comparisons made, rather than just stating that results were mixed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. There is a clear progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate. For instance, the transition 'Initially' is not the best choice for describing static data in a chart. Additionally, the phrase 'by contrast' is used to introduce the table, which is acceptable, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. Using a wider variety of linking words would help improve the overall cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'proportion', 'participation', and 'involvement'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'minimum figures' instead of 'the lowest proportion' and 'helpfulness behavior' instead of 'helpfulness of staff'. There are also minor errors like 'not record found' (should be 'no record was found'). To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensuring that word forms are used correctly in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('the full-time undergraduates... shows' should be 'show') and missing articles ('at library' should be 'at the library'). Additionally, the sentence 'there is not record found for unsatisfied person' is grammatically incorrect. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for articles and subject-verb agreement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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