Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-12

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

Categories of library users

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The pie chart illustrates the results of the distribution of different categories of library users in a university, while the table demonstrates user satisfaction in the library of a university.

Overall, it's clear that Full-time undergraduates recorded majority of distribution. In contrast, Academic staff saw the lowest distribution. Furthermore, Helpfulness of staff displayed the largest satisfaction of users. However, Availability of journals experienced less satisfaction.

Full-time undergraduates saw the highest distribution ever which is 44%. Subsequently, Full-time postgraduates were next to Full-time undergraduates and recorded 25%. Furthermore, part-time postgraduates and distance learning displayed 16% and 8% respectively. Finally, Academic staff were lowest among them and recorded 7%, which were the minimum in the distribution.

Helpfulness of staff and Library opening hours displayed 0% Unsatisfied . Similarly, both are recorded 95% and 65% respectively, which makes the highest among of all .Both are recorded in fairly satisfied were 5% and 35% . In contrast, Availability of journals and Reliability of wi-fi showed the highest not satisfied distribution which are 20% and 19% respectively and the lowest to next to each other in the group. As a result of higher un-satisfaction, they both displayed 45% and 48% in very satisfied. Although, they saw 35% and 33% in fairly satisfied.

Furthermore, Availability of books had average satisfaction. It displayed 50% very satisfied , 40% Fairly satisfied which makes a higher in Fairly satisfied and finally 10% in Not satisfied.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the pie chart and the table. You have identified the main features, such as the dominance of full-time undergraduates and the high satisfaction levels regarding staff helpfulness. However, the analysis of the table is somewhat mechanical and lacks a cohesive comparative approach. For instance, you list percentages for each category without fully synthesizing the data to highlight significant trends or contrasts. While the key features are present, the reporting is a bit repetitive, and some data points could be grouped more effectively to provide a clearer overview of the survey results.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore', 'In contrast', and 'Similarly' to link ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'which makes the highest among of all'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing the table data, where the connection between the categories and the satisfaction levels becomes slightly muddled. Improving the flow between sentences would enhance the overall coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'distribution', 'satisfaction', and 'respectively'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'recorded majority of distribution' (should be 'the majority of the distribution') and 'higher un-satisfaction' (should be 'higher levels of dissatisfaction'). Some phrasing is repetitive, and the use of 'lowest to next to each other' is unclear. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensuring that your vocabulary is used in a natural, idiomatic way.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'Academic staff were lowest among them and recorded 7%, which were the minimum' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'Both are recorded in fairly satisfied were 5%' (incorrect sentence structure). There are also issues with articles and prepositions, such as 'the highest among of all'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage would be beneficial.

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