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)

Introduction

The pie chart and table illustrate the results of a survey of university library users. The pie chart shows the different categories of library users, while the table present their levels of satisfaction with various library services.

Overview

overall, full-time undergraduate students formed the largest proportion of library users, whereas academic staff represented smallest group. in terms of satisfaction, the helpfulness of staff received the most positive feedback, while the availability of journal and the reliability of wife had the highest level of dissatisfaction.

Paragraph A

Looking first at the categories of users full-time undergraduate accounted for 44% of all library users this was followed by full-time postgraduate made up 16% while distance- learning students represented only 8%. Academic staff sonstitutes the smalled proportion at 7%.

Paragraph B

Regarding satisfaction, 95% of users very satisfied with the helpfulness of statt, and none were dissatisfied. similarly 65% were very satisfied with the library opening hours while the remaining 35% were fairly satisfied.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the data, including a clear overview and specific comparisons. However, the report is incomplete as it fails to mention the data regarding 'availability of journals' and 'reliability of Wi-Fi', which were highlighted in the overview but not detailed in the body paragraphs. To achieve a higher band, ensure all data points mentioned in the overview are supported by specific figures in the body. The inclusion of 'wife' instead of 'Wi-Fi' is a significant error that impacts the accuracy of the information reported.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into logical sections, including an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. However, the paragraphing is somewhat unconventional, using labels like 'Paragraph A' and 'Paragraph B' rather than standard academic structure. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Looking first at' and 'Regarding', but the flow is occasionally interrupted by punctuation errors and run-on sentences, such as 'Looking first at the categories of users full-time undergraduate accounted for 44%...'. Improving sentence boundary awareness would enhance the logical progression.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'accounted for', and 'dissatisfaction'. However, there are several spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'sonstitutes' (constitutes), 'smalled' (smallest), 'statt' (staff), and the misuse of 'wife' instead of 'Wi-Fi'. These errors occasionally distract the reader. To improve, focus on proofreading for spelling and ensuring that technical terms are used accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('the table present') and missing articles or prepositions. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several run-on sentences where clauses are not properly separated. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be highly beneficial.

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