Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-15
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 below illustrates the results of a survey of library users at a university.
Overall, there are five categories of library users is academic staff, full-time undergraduate, full time postgraduate, part-time postgraduates and distance learning[all courses]. The highest usage of library by full time undergraduate is 44% whereas lowest category that use library is 7%.
The pie chart demonstrates the categories of library users while the table shows library user satisfaction about library's regarding information. The highest category of library is full-time undergraduate is 44% which is the highest among all five categories. Second highest category is full-time postgraduates which is 25%. Moreover, part-time postgraduate is 16% and distance learning for all courses is 8%. Hence, the lowest category that use library is academic staff which is 7%.
The visitors who are very satisfied by helpfulness by staff is 95% and remaining 5% is fairly satisfied and zero is not satisfied. Similarly, those who are very satisfied for library opening hours is 65% and fairly satisfied is 35% and zero is not satisfied. 50% is very satisfied for availability of books and this satisfaction percentage is decreased by 5 percentage for availability of journals is 45%. Reliability of wi-fi is increased by 3 percentage which is 48%.
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. You included data for all categories and satisfaction metrics, which is good. However, the response lacks a clear, cohesive summary of the trends. The reporting of data is somewhat repetitive, listing percentages without enough comparative analysis. For example, instead of just listing the percentages, you could have contrasted the high satisfaction with staff helpfulness against the lower satisfaction regarding book availability. To improve, focus on grouping related data points and highlighting the most significant differences or similarities rather than simply transcribing the figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'The highest category of...' and 'The visitors who are...' are used frequently, which makes the flow feel a bit stilted. Additionally, the transition between the pie chart data and the table data is abrupt. To reach a higher band, try to use a wider variety of linking words and referencing expressions to connect your ideas more fluidly, ensuring that the relationship between the different parts of the data is clearly signposted.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey the necessary information clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'satisfaction', 'availability', and 'reliability'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'library user satisfaction about library's regarding information'. To improve, try to use more varied synonyms for 'highest' and 'lowest', and work on more natural collocations. For instance, instead of saying 'satisfaction percentage is decreased by 5 percentage', you could use 'satisfaction levels dropped by 5 percentage points'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There are several grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally hinder the flow. For example, 'The chart and table below illustrates' should be 'illustrate' (subject-verb agreement), and 'there are five categories... is academic staff' is grammatically incorrect. You rely mostly on simple sentence structures. While you attempt some complex structures, they often contain errors, such as 'The visitors who are very satisfied by helpfulness by staff is 95%'. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that your complex sentences are constructed accurately. Increasing the variety of your sentence structures will also help demonstrate better control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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