Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-15
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 variety of people that uses the library at the university. Furthermore, the table provides the data on the satisfaction level of the users from the services provided in the library on three different levels.
Overall, both the charts are being used to show the performance of the library and its use by the people in the university.
The largest percentage in pie chart comprises to be 44% of the students that are not graduated, while the smallest percentage is 7% that is of the academic staff. 25% full time post graduate students use the library whereas 16% part time graduates benefit from it. The remaining 8% percent is used by the students who are distant learning.
As seen from the table, majority of the users are highly satisfied with staff services while only 45% being content with the availability of the journals. 10,20 and 19 percent are not happy with the availability of books, journals, and wifi respectively.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student covers both parts of the task by reporting information from both the pie chart and the table. A clear overview is attempted in the second paragraph, stating that the charts show the performance and usage of the library. Main features are selected and reported, such as the highest and lowest categories in the pie chart (44% for full-time undergraduates and 7% for academic staff) and key satisfaction data from the table. However, some data points are slightly inaccurate or awkwardly phrased, such as stating '10,20 and 19 percent are not happy' without explicitly linking them to books, journals, and wifi in a clear comparative structure. Overall, the response meets the requirements for a Band 6.0 as it addresses all parts of the task adequately, though some details could be more fully and accurately developed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged logically into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overall statement, a body paragraph for the pie chart, and a body paragraph for the table. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Furthermore', 'Overall', 'The largest percentage', and 'As seen from the table'. However, paragraphing could be improved, as the overall statement is placed in its own very short second paragraph rather than being integrated into the introduction or conclusion. Referencing is generally clear, though paragraph transitions are somewhat mechanical. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms like 'proportion', 'percentage', 'satisfaction level', and 'academic staff'. However, there are noticeable awkward word choices and grammatical slips with collocations, such as 'comprises to be 44%' instead of 'accounts for 44%' or 'comprises 44%', and 'distant learning' instead of 'distance learning'. Spelling and word formation are generally fine, but the range of less common vocabulary is limited. These errors do not impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The pie chart illustrates the proportion of variety of people that uses the library at the university' and '25% full time post graduate students use the library whereas 16% part time graduates benefit from it.' There are some grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('people that uses' instead of 'people that use') and minor prepositional or article inaccuracies ('the table provides the data on the satisfaction level of the users from the services'). Nevertheless, the errors are not so frequent as to impede communication, fitting the Band 6.0 criteria well.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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