Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-06
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 7.5)
The pie chart shows the different categories of users of a university library.
Overall, full-time undergraduate students were the largest group of library users, while academic staff made up the smallest percentage. Postgraduate students, distance learners and academic staff together accounted for less than half of the users.
According to the chart, 44% of library users were full-time undergraduates, making this the biggest category. The second-largest group was full-time postgraduate students, at 25%. Part-time postgraduate students represented 16% of the total, which was 9 percentage points lower than the figure for full-time postgraduates.
The remaining users consisted of distance-learning students and academic staff. Distance learners from all courses accounted for 8%, while academic staff made up only 7%. Therefore, the percentage of academic staff was the smallest among all the categories. Overall, full-time students, including both undergraduate and postgraduate students, represented 69% of all library users, showing that they were the main users of the university library.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
You have successfully identified and reported the main features of the data. The overview is clear, highlighting the largest and smallest categories effectively. You have also made relevant comparisons, such as noting the difference between full-time and part-time postgraduate students and grouping the full-time students to provide a broader analytical insight. All parts of the prompt are addressed, and the data is accurately represented throughout the response. To reach a higher band, ensure that you consistently highlight the most significant trends rather than just listing figures, though you have done a good job of balancing this here.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding summary. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the largest groups to the smaller ones. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'According to the chart', 'The second-largest group', and 'The remaining users' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. The flow of information is natural, and there is a clear sense of structure throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data accurately. Terms such as 'accounted for', 'represented', 'percentage points', and 'consisted of' are used correctly and in the right context. The language is precise and appropriate for an academic report. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it could be further enhanced by incorporating more sophisticated synonyms or varied collocations to demonstrate a wider range of lexical flexibility, which would help in achieving a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The response demonstrates a good control of grammatical structures. You have used a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively, such as the use of subordinate clauses in '...making this the biggest category' and '...showing that they were the main users'. Punctuation is accurate, and there are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. The majority of your sentences are error-free, which indicates a strong command of English grammar. To improve further, you could experiment with more varied sentence structures, such as using passive voice or inversion, to add more complexity.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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