Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-29

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 graph illustrates the results of a survey of library users at a university. The graph is divided into five parts part time post graduates, distance learners, academic staff, full time undergraduates, and full time post graduates. Below there is a table that demonstrates the ratio of users whether they are satisfied, fairly satisfied or not satisfied at all.

To begin with the graph the lowest percentage in the graph is academic staff. Distant learners are one percent high as compared to academic staff. Part time postgraduates are sixteen percent comparatively high than than both academic staff and distant learners. Full time post graduates are twenty five percent with the second most highest percentage. In the end

highest percentage among these is full time undergraduates users with the percentage of forty four.

Lastly in table sixty five percent are satisfied with library opening hours but thirty five are fairly satisfied there is no one who is not satisfied. Ninety five percent are satisfied with the assistance of staff five percent are fairly satisfied and there is no one who is not satisfied. Fifty percent are satisfied with availability of books however forty percent are fairly satisfied and ten percent are not satisfied. Forty five percent are satisfied with availability

of journal but thirty five percent are fairly satisfied and twenty percent are not satisfied. Forty eight percent are satisfied with WiFi thirty three are fairly satisfied and nineteen percent are not satisfied

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of both the chart and the table. You covered all categories of users and provided a breakdown of the satisfaction levels. However, the response lacks a clear overview or summary statement that highlights the most significant trends, such as the high satisfaction levels for staff assistance versus the lower satisfaction for journal availability. To improve, ensure you group information logically rather than just listing data points. While you have reported the figures accurately, the response would benefit from more analytical comparisons between the different categories of users and satisfaction metrics to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is somewhat mechanical. You rely on simple transition words like 'To begin with' and 'Lastly', which makes the structure feel a bit repetitive. The referencing is sometimes unclear; for example, 'In the end highest percentage' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the logical progression. To improve, use a wider variety of cohesive devices to link ideas more fluidly and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence. The transition between the chart data and the table data is abrupt and could be smoothed out with a more sophisticated linking phrase.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive. You frequently use phrases like 'percentage of' and 'satisfied with'. There is a lack of variety in how you describe the data; for instance, you use 'high' and 'highest' repeatedly. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary such as 'proportion', 'majority', 'minority', 'significant', or 'notably'. Additionally, there are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'distant learners' instead of 'distance learners', which slightly affects the professional tone of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, 'Part time postgraduates are sixteen percent comparatively high than than both' contains a double 'than' and awkward phrasing. There are also missing articles and issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'thirty five are fairly satisfied' (missing 'percent'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring that your sentence structures are varied and correctly punctuated.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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