Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-01
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 illustrate the results of survey of library users at a university.
overall full-time undergraduates formed the largest category of library users, and satisfaction was highest for staff helpfulness but lowest for the availabity of journals and Wi-fi reliability.
According to pie chart, full-time undergraduates accounted for 44% of library users. full-time postgraduates made up of 25%, while part-time postgraduates represented 16%. the remaining users were distance learning students at 8% and academic staff at 7%.
In contrast the library opening hours were very satisfied rate at 65% and fairly satisfied rate at 35% and, the helpfulness of staff was satisfied rate ate 95% and fairly satisfied at 5%. The availability of journals and reliability of Wi-Fi had the lowest ''very satisfied'' rates at 45% and 85% respectively, and the highest ''not satisfied'' rates at 20% and 19%. for availability of books, 50% were very satisfies, and 40% fairly satisfied and 10% not satisfied.
The survey indicates that full time undergraduate were the main users of the university library
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the pie chart and the table. You successfully identified the main features, such as the largest user category (full-time undergraduates) and the highest/lowest satisfaction ratings. However, the reporting of data is sometimes inaccurate or confusing. For instance, you stated that the 'very satisfied' rate for Wi-Fi was 85%, whereas the table shows 45%. Additionally, the 'not satisfied' rate for Wi-Fi is listed as 19% in your text, but the table shows 35%. Accuracy in data transcription is vital for Task 1. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision in reporting figures limits the score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. There are missing transitions between sentences, and the flow is occasionally disjointed. For example, the transition between the pie chart data and the table data is abrupt. Furthermore, the punctuation is inconsistent, with several run-on sentences and missing capital letters at the start of sentences (e.g., 'According to pie chart', 'the remaining users'). Improving the use of linking words and ensuring consistent paragraph structure would significantly enhance the clarity of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You rely heavily on the words provided in the prompt (e.g., 'full-time', 'undergraduates', 'library users'). There are also some errors in word choice and form, such as 'made up of 25%' (should be 'made up 25%') and 'very satisfies' (should be 'very satisfied'). To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary to describe trends and comparisons, such as 'accounted for', 'constituted', or 'a significant proportion', and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include missing articles ('According to pie chart'), incorrect verb forms ('made up of'), and inconsistent capitalization. Punctuation is also problematic, particularly with the misuse of commas and the lack of full stops in some areas. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of minor errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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