Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-14
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 bar chart and table provides the information about types of library users and their satisfaction level at a university.
Overall, five different categories of questions have been asked to five types library users as a survey to find out their satisfaction level. Satisfaction levels have been calculated in percentage from the survey.
Full-time undergraduate students are the most dominating users among other four categories with the percentage of 44. Other full-time students are 25% of total library used and secured second position. Academic staffs, part-time and distance learners are only 31% of the total user of that university's library. Moreover, academic staff are not often visitor of that library, as a result, students are 93% of the total users.
In the survey, users have been asked about library opening hours, helpfulness of library staff, availability of books and journals, and wi-fi stability. In every questions, user were seen very satisfied scoring 40% to 65% of total users. People are very happy with the staffs and there are no complaints about them. Some of the users are to bit unhappy with the journals availability and reliability of wi-fi.
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 the main features of the data, such as the breakdown of user categories and the general satisfaction levels. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the claim that 'students are 93% of the total users' is a misinterpretation of the data provided in the table. Furthermore, the summary of satisfaction levels lacks precision; instead of grouping them into a broad range of 40% to 65%, you should highlight specific data points for each category to provide a more accurate report. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision and the miscalculation of percentages prevent a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall' and 'Moreover' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally disjointed. For example, the transition between discussing user categories and satisfaction levels could be smoother. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as 'In every questions, user were seen very satisfied', which lacks a clear link to the previous paragraph. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would enhance the overall flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'satisfaction level', 'categories', and 'percentage'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'most dominating users' is not the most natural way to describe the largest group; 'largest proportion of users' would be more precise. Similarly, 'academic staff are not often visitor' contains a grammatical error and awkward phrasing. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and ensure 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, but there are frequent errors that occasionally hinder clarity. For instance, 'The bar chart and table provides' shows a subject-verb agreement error. Other issues include 'In every questions, user were seen' (plural/singular mismatch) and 'Some of the users are to bit unhappy' (incorrect preposition/adverb usage). While the meaning is generally understandable, these recurring errors in basic grammar and punctuation prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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