Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-05
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 provide information about the result of a survey of library users at a university. Overall, it was evident that students accounted for the largest proportion, particularly full-time undergraduates, compared to academic staff. Library users were most satisfied with the helpfulness of staff, whereas availability of books was rated lower among the library users. Regarding the pie chart students belonging to different categories were differently distributed, full-time undergraduate users accounted for the largest percentage, at 44% followed by full-time and part-time postgraduates which represented 25% and 16% respectively. In contrast, distance learning and academic staff users showed a similar figure and were the lowest contributing users, with 8% and 7% respectively. Turning to the table, facilities such as the library opening hours and helpfulness of staff by users were fully satisfied. 65% and 95% users rated higher to these facilities, whereas 35% and 5% were fairly satisfied with these. Other three facilities were following the same pattern. the largest proportion of users was fully satisfied at 50% and 45% in availability of books and journals respectively and 48% in reliability of wi-fi. The same pattern could be observed in fairly satisfied, while there were only these three facilities that were not satisfied by users around 10%, 20% and 19% respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
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, the analysis of the table is slightly confusing. For example, you state that 65% and 95% were 'fully satisfied' with opening hours and staff helpfulness, but the table shows these figures represent the 'fully satisfied' category. Your description of the 'not satisfied' category is also a bit muddled. To improve, ensure that you clearly distinguish between the categories of satisfaction (fully, fairly, not) when reporting the data to avoid ambiguity for the reader.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized, moving from the pie chart to the table. You use some cohesive devices like 'In contrast,' 'Turning to,' and 'Overall,' which help the flow. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire response is written as one block of text. Breaking the response into distinct paragraphs—one for the overview/pie chart and one for the table—would significantly improve the structure. Additionally, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and the final sentence is quite long and slightly disjointed, which affects the overall flow of information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion,' 'distributed,' and 'contributing users.' There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'rated higher to these facilities' (should be 'rated these facilities higher') and 'lowest contributing users.' While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. To improve, focus on more natural collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing when describing percentages and satisfaction levels.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'students belonging to different categories were differently distributed' (awkward phrasing) and 'the largest proportion of users was fully satisfied at 50%... in availability of books.' Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the lack of commas in complex sentences and the run-on nature of the final sentence. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to limit your score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and clearer sentence boundaries.
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