Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-16
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 illustrates the categories of library users. The table presents the data about the satisfaction of library user in various categories.
Overall, most of the library users are full time undergraduates, while the least are distance learning. The learners of university are highly satisfied with the helpfulness of staff and almost half of the users satisfied with the availability of the books.
To begin with, the most category of library is full time undergraduate which accounted for 44%, while the users from distance learning category stood least at 8% only. The 25% of the users of library are full-time graduate, followed by double of distance learning category at 16% of part-time postgraduate. The academic staff account for only 7%.
Turning to satisfaction, the helpfulness of staff are very satisfied to 95% users, while only 5% users are fairly satisfied. The category of library opening hours are very satisfied to 65% learners, however 35% users are fairly satisfied, followed by 45% learners are highly 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
You have successfully identified the main features of the data, such as the largest and smallest user categories and the high satisfaction levels regarding staff. However, the response is incomplete. You failed to report the data for 'availability of books' and 'library building', which are key components of the table. Furthermore, the final sentence is cut off mid-thought, leaving the data for 'library building' and 'availability of books' unaddressed. To achieve a higher band, ensure that all categories presented in the visual data are covered and that your summary is fully concluded. The overview is present but could be more analytical by highlighting the contrast between the high satisfaction with staff versus other categories.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices like 'To begin with' and 'Turning to satisfaction' to transition between ideas. However, the cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and the lack of a complete final sentence disrupts the flow of the conclusion. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the data points could be smoother. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that every paragraph has a clear, finished structure to maintain the logical progression of your report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'accounted for', and 'satisfaction'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'the most category of library' instead of 'the largest category' and 'double of distance learning category' which is slightly awkward. There is also a lack of variety in reporting verbs and descriptors. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary, such as 'constitute', 'represent', or 'proportion', and ensure that your collocations are natural and accurate in the context of data reporting.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'the helpfulness of staff are very satisfied to 95% users' is grammatically incorrect; it should be '95% of users are very satisfied with the helpfulness of staff'. Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage throughout the text. The final sentence is incomplete, which is a significant grammatical error. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that your sentences are complete, with clear subjects and predicates, and proofread for basic structural errors.
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