Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-25
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 and table illustrates the proportion of a survey of a library users at a university.
Overall, library is mostly used by full time undergraduate students as they need guidance related to topics they have read about in schools. Library is least used by academic staff as they also need some knowledge related to topics to discuss in school or colleges.
Initially library is mostly used by full-time undergraduate as they do not carry gadgets. So they can search it on websites. There percentage is about 44%. And then library is mostly used by full-time postgraduate there percentage is about 25%. And then it is used by part-time postgraduate and their percentage is 16%. Somehow, library is also used in all courses as distance learning and their percentage is 8%. At last, library is least used by the academic staff as they also need some kind of knowledge to teach in classes and their percentage is 7%.
And here we also have a table that illustrates about the satisfaction of library users. With the library opening hours almost everybody is satisfied. People are not satisfied with the reliability of wi-fi, unavailable journals and unavailable books.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the data, but it suffers from significant issues regarding the interpretation of the information. You have included personal speculation about why students use the library (e.g., 'as they do not carry gadgets'), which is not present in the data and is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 report. Furthermore, the summary of the table is very brief and lacks specific data points, failing to make meaningful comparisons between the categories of satisfaction. To improve, focus strictly on reporting the figures provided without adding external opinions or explanations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and a lack of varied cohesive devices. Phrases like 'And then' and 'And here we also have' are overly simplistic and mechanical. The transition between the pie chart description and the table is abrupt. Using a wider range of linking words such as 'consequently', 'in contrast', or 'regarding the table' would help improve the flow and connectivity of your ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. You frequently use the word 'used' and 'percentage', which restricts the range of your writing. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'there percentage' (should be 'their percentage') and 'search it on websites'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise synonyms for data reporting, such as 'account for', 'represent', 'constitute', or 'the majority of users'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lack of variety in word choice limits the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. While there are some attempts at complex sentences, they are often marred by grammatical errors, such as 'The pie chart and table illustrates' (subject-verb agreement error: should be 'illustrate') and 'a survey of a library users' (article error). Punctuation is generally functional, but the frequent errors in basic grammar and the lack of complex sentence variety suggest that you are currently at a lower level of control. Focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and using a wider variety of subordinating conjunctions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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