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 illustrates the end goal of a survey of library users at a university.
Overall, full time undergraduate students makes up the largest proportion of library users, while academic stuff accounts for the smallest. In terms of satisfaction, full time post graduate and part time post graduate were the second and third largest percentage of library users.
Firstly, full time undergraduate stands for 44%, the highest among others, while full time postgraduate accounts for 25%, followed by part time postgraduate at 16%, whereas academic stuff is the lowest (7%) among others.
Secondly, regarding library users satisfaction, the helpfulness of staff received highest rating around 95% out of 100%. Additionally, library opening hours is the second most satisfied accounting for 65%, and 35% were fairly satisfied. In comparison, satisfaction level of availablity of books was around 50%, but 40% of users were fairly satisfied, whereas 20% of people were not satisfied in availability of journals.
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, including the breakdown of user categories and satisfaction levels. However, there are inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you state that 'helpfulness of staff received highest rating around 95%', but the chart shows 95% for 'Helpfulness of staff' as a combined figure of 'satisfied' and 'fairly satisfied'. You also mention '35% were fairly satisfied' for opening hours, which is not clearly supported by the visual data provided. To improve, ensure you distinguish between categories clearly and report figures with greater precision. The overview is present but could be more analytical by highlighting the most significant trends rather than just listing percentages.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on the two distinct data sets. You use transition signals such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In comparison' to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'the highest among others', which is repetitive. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure that the progression between sentences feels more natural and less like a list of facts.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'illustrates', and 'satisfaction level'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'academic stuff' (should be 'staff') and 'availablity' (spelling error). Additionally, 'stands for' is not the most appropriate collocation for describing statistical data; 'accounts for' or 'comprises' would be better. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and proofreading for common spelling mistakes to ensure your writing appears more professional and accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that slightly impede the flow, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('full time undergraduate students makes up') and missing articles ('the availability of books'). While the meaning is generally clear, these recurring errors prevent the response from reaching a higher band. To improve, pay closer attention to pluralisation and subject-verb agreement. Incorporating more varied complex structures, such as relative clauses or participle phrases, would also help demonstrate better control over grammatical range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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