Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The pie chart illustrates the categories of the people who uses library, while the table provides the information of satisfaction of library visitors. Overall, Full-time undergraduate are the ones who uses library oftenly and academic staff uses library rearly. While, in terms of satisfaction, helpfulness of staff recieved higher number of positive reviews. In addition, availability of journals seems less reviews and it remained unsatisfied.

The visitors of library has some categories and percentage. It can be seen that Full-time undergraduate are the most common users of library which is at 44% while Academic staff and Distance learning (all courses) are at lowest as they are not a frequent users of reading room. Similarly, Full-time postgraduate uses the library 25% as they are the most common visitors after Full-time undergraduate users. Part-time postgraduates are a 16% of users who visits library.

Helpfulness of staff recieved the highest level of satisfaction with 95% of users being very satisfied while 5% of users were fairly satisfied. Furthermore, 65% of the users were very satisfied with the library opening hours and 35% of users were fairly satisfied. However, availability of journals recieved least proportion of very satisfied users, at 45% while 35% were fairly satisfied and 20% were not satisfied at all.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the pie chart and the table. You successfully identified the main features, such as the highest user category (full-time undergraduates) and the highest satisfaction rating (helpfulness of staff). However, the analysis is somewhat descriptive rather than analytical. For instance, you list percentages without consistently making meaningful comparisons between the categories or satisfaction levels. To reach a higher band, ensure you synthesize the data more effectively by grouping related information and highlighting significant trends or contrasts, rather than simply listing the figures for each category sequentially.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, a body paragraph for the chart, and a body paragraph for the table. There is a clear overall progression. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the repetitive use of 'while' and 'in addition'. Some transitions between sentences feel abrupt. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the relationship between sentences is more fluid. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow could be enhanced by using more sophisticated cohesive ties to connect the ideas within and between paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. There are several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'oftenly' (often), 'rearly' (rarely), 'recieved' (received), and 'visitors of library' (library visitors). These errors do not impede communication, but they do highlight a lack of control over more complex lexical items. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure you proofread for common spelling mistakes. Expanding your vocabulary to include more varied descriptors for trends would also be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'Full-time undergraduate are' (undergraduates are), 'uses library' (uses the library), and 'are a 16% of users' (make up 16% of users). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely prevent the reader from understanding your meaning. To achieve a higher score, you need to increase the frequency of error-free sentences and pay closer attention to basic grammatical rules like pluralization and the correct use of definite/indefinite articles.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.