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 table chart illustrates prove the the survey result of library students at a university. and provide information about different categories.
overall, in term of five categories of library users like [ academic staff, full time undergraduate, full time post graduate, part time post graduate, distance learning{all courses} ]
the full time undergraduate students made up the largest portion of library users , while the academic staff is smallest portion of library users.
According to pie chart , the full time undergraduate library users at 44% . the full time postgraduate library users is 25%. followed by part time postgraduate is 16% . In comparison , distance learning and academic staff are the smallest portion is 8% and 7% respectively.
The table show that the helpfulness of staff had the highest level of satisfaction , with 95% of users being very satisfied but only 5% fairy satisfied
library opening hours also receive a high satisfaction rate with 65% very satisfied and the 35% fairy satisfied
Regarding the availability of books , 50% were satisfied and 35% fairy satisfied but only 10% were not satisfied
Finally , satisfaction with journals and wifi was comparatively lower. for journals , 45% were very satisfied and 35% were fairy satisfied but also 20% were not satisfied . The corresponding figures for wifi is 48% , 33% and 19 % were not satisfied
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 both the pie chart and the table. You successfully identified the main features, such as the largest and smallest categories of users and the satisfaction levels for various services. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it lacks a clear synthesis of the data. While you provided specific figures, the analysis could be improved by making more direct comparisons between the categories and the satisfaction metrics. The structure is generally logical, but the introduction is slightly repetitive and contains grammatical errors that hinder the initial flow.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite mechanical and sometimes inaccurate. For example, the transition 'In comparison' is used, but the connection between sentences is often abrupt. The punctuation is inconsistent, with missing capital letters at the start of sentences and erratic spacing around punctuation marks. Paragraphing is present, but the logical progression between the pie chart data and the table data could be smoother. Improving the use of linking words like 'furthermore', 'conversely', or 'in contrast' would enhance the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. You rely on basic terms like 'made up the largest portion' and 'smallest portion'. There are also spelling errors, such as 'fairy' instead of 'fairly', and 'table chart' is an awkward collocation. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise academic vocabulary to describe trends and proportions, such as 'constitute', 'account for', or 'a significant majority'. The repetition of 'portion' and 'satisfied' limits the lexical variety.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the academic staff is smallest portion'), missing articles, and incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'The table show that'). Punctuation is a significant issue, with many sentences starting with lowercase letters and inconsistent spacing. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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