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 breakdown the visitor of the library at a university and there are 5 categories of library users.
First we will look at the per% of what type of the users are in the library. First we notice the highest ratio is 44% in Full-time undergraduate then the second highest ratio is 25% which is full-time postgraduate and the lowest one is academic staff which is only 7%.
Now we will talk about the user satisfaction (%) in the library.
We can see that the opening hours of the library is perfectly satisfied by 65% and other 35% are just fairly satisfied. The helpfulness of staff is 95% satisfied which means majority of the users are completely satisfied. If we talk about the availability of books is not that much satisfied 10% of users are not satisfied and at the end we can clearly notice that there is average percentage value in reliability of wi-fi.
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 the main features of the data, such as the highest and lowest user categories and satisfaction levels. However, the analysis is quite superficial. For instance, the mention of 'average percentage value' for Wi-Fi reliability is vague and fails to report the actual data points provided in the table. Furthermore, the response lacks a clear overview or summary statement that synthesises the information, which is a requirement for a high band score. The structure is somewhat informal, and the reporting of data lacks the precision expected in an academic task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited and repetitive, relying heavily on 'First' and 'Now'. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas or compare the data points effectively. The progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical, and the transition between the pie chart data and the table data feels abrupt. Improving the use of referencing and transition signals would significantly enhance the flow of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'breakdown the visitor of the library' and 'per% of what type of the users'. The use of 'ratio' is technically incorrect in this context, as 'percentage' or 'proportion' would be more accurate. The language is somewhat repetitive, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or collocations related to data description.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the breakdown the visitor' (missing preposition/article), 'per% of what type of the users' (awkward construction), and 'availability of books is not that much satisfied' (incorrect adjective usage). Punctuation is also inconsistent, and some sentences are poorly constructed, which occasionally hinders clarity. A greater focus on subject-verb agreement and correct sentence structure is needed to improve the accuracy of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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