Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04

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 given pie chart and table depict the percentage of user satisfaction of the library present in the university on the basis of different categorical users namely Full-time undergraduates, academic staff, Distance learning of all courses, part-time graduates, and full-time graduates as well the facilities provided by the library such as its opening hours, staff help, availability of books and journals along with wi-fi.

Overall, it is evident that full-time undergraduates significantly use the library, whereas academic staff do not often visit the library. Furthermore, the library staff is deemed to be helpful having highest satisfaction rate, although the availability of journals has the most dissatisfaction rate.

The pie chart represents the library used by individuals of the university. Full-time graduates take up the major region by 44%, in contrast to full postgraduates who only make up a quarter of the total. The part-time postgraduates account for 16%. finally, the Academic staff along with distance learners use the library the least which is 7% and 8% respectively.

The table gives information regarding the satisfaction level, which is seen quite high for the helpfulness from the staff (95%) and has 0 unsatisfied users which is same for the opening hours as well but with 65% of very satisfied users. Availability of books account for half of the very satisfaction level and reliability of wi-fi being just below it at 48% with not satisfied users being 10% and 19% respectively. Lastly availability of journals accounts for 45% of satisfaction with 2o % not satisfied marking.

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 provided a clear overview and supported your points with relevant data. However, there are some inaccuracies in your reporting. For instance, you mention 'full-time graduates' take up 44%, but the chart labels this as 'Full-time undergraduates'. Additionally, you refer to 'full postgraduates' which is not a category listed. Accuracy in data transcription is vital for Task 1. While you covered all parts of the prompt, the misinterpretation of the categories prevents a higher score. Ensure you double-check labels against the provided visual data before writing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on the chart and table respectively. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'in contrast to', and 'Lastly' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'which is same for the opening hours as well'. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer to the intended nouns would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'depict', 'significantly', and 'satisfaction rate'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'major region' instead of 'largest proportion' and 'not satisfied marking' instead of 'dissatisfaction rate'. There is also a minor typographical error ('2o %'). To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensure that your word choices are natural in the context of data reporting. You have enough vocabulary to communicate your ideas, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the library used by individuals' (should be 'library usage by individuals') and 'availability of books account for' (subject-verb agreement error: 'accounts'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but some sentences are slightly clunky, such as the opening sentence which is quite long and dense. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and sentence structure variety will help improve your accuracy.

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

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