Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-14
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 proportion of the library users, while the table gives data on the user satisfaction by various facilities of the library.
Overall, majority of the library users were the full-time undergraduate and full-time undergraduate students, meanwhile, academic staff accounted a smallest proportion. Furthermore, users were highly satisfied with opening hours and helfulness of library staff.
The full-time undergraduate students accounted a largest in library users which was 44%, and after that a significant proportion was shared by full-time postgraduate students, which was 25%. Besides, 16% were part-time postgraduate students. However, academic staff barely contributed 7% to the total proportion of library users.
On the other hand, helpfulness of the staff reecieved the most positive feedback amongst all facilities, 95% were fully satisfied and 5% were fairly satisfied. In contrast, 65% of the users were very satisfied by the openings hours and 35% were fairly satisfied. Moreover, 20% of the users were mostly not satisfied by the availability of journals as well as with the reliabilty of wifi which was 19%.
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
The response successfully addresses the main features of both the pie chart and the table, selecting key data such as the highest and lowest user categories and highlighting key satisfaction levels. For instance, the student correctly identifies that full-time undergraduates formed the largest group at 44% and that helpfulness of staff received the most positive feedback with 95% full satisfaction. Comparisons are made between categories, such as contrasting full-time undergraduates with academic staff at 7%. However, there are minor data inaccuracies in the reporting; for example, the text states that 'majority of the library users were the full-time undergraduate and full-time undergraduate students' (repeating undergraduate), and some percentage breakdowns from the table are slightly misinterpreted or generalised. Overall, all parts of the task are covered adequately, placing the response firmly at Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged coherently, with an introduction, a clear separation between the pie chart data and the table data, and an overview sentence at the beginning. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different sections of visual data. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'Furthermore', 'Besides', 'However', and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally faulty or mechanical; for example, the transition 'and after that a significant proportion was shared by' is somewhat awkward. Additionally, the phrase 'full-time undergraduate and full-time undergraduate students' creates a repetitive and disjointed flow. Progression is generally clear, but the links between sentences could be smoother to reach a higher band level.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting less common items such as 'proportion', 'satisfaction', 'availability', and 'reliability'. However, there are several lexical errors and awkward word choices throughout the text. Examples include 'helfulness' (spelling error), 'accounted a largest in library users' (unnatural collocation/grammar), 'reecieved' (spelling error), and 'openings hours' (incorrect pluralisation). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they demonstrate a lack of precision that prevents the response from achieving a higher score. More precise vocabulary and careful proofreading are needed to improve lexical accuracy.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses and subordinate clauses such as 'which was 44%' and 'while the table gives data'. There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing constructions present. For instance, 'accounted a largest in library users' lacks a noun head, 'helpfulness of the staff reecieved' contains a spelling error, and 'mostly not satisfied by the availability of journals as well as with the reliabilty of wifi which was 19%' suffers from inconsistent parallel structure and clumsy phrasing. Grammatical control is moderate, with errors occasionally causing minor strain for the reader, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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